


Stay Gold

by selenium_drive



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Angry Din Djarin, Din Djarin Needs a Hug, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Good Parent Din Djarin, Grogu | Baby Yoda Being a Little Shit, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Din Djarin, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Soft Din Djarin, The Mandalorian (TV) Spoilers, Touch-Starved Din Djarin, Triggers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-12 17:28:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 78,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28764075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/selenium_drive/pseuds/selenium_drive
Summary: Mando knew he would be in over his head once he took on the role of being a father. Between hunting down bounties, protecting his new foundling, and keeping his ship in one piece, he knew he had to find someone to help pick up the slack.Per the instructions of a certain Ugnaught on Arvala-7, Mando seeks out a mysterious woman on Tattooine. No one knows her real name, or even where she really came from. She too hides her face, but for reasons the Mandalorian doesn't quite understand.Loosely follows season 1, then ventures off into its own story before eventually following season 2.Slow building romance with bits of fluff sprinkled here and there. More fluff and...other things...as this progresses.
Relationships: Din Djarin/Original Character(s), Din Djarin/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 41
Kudos: 87





	1. The Job

_I could use a crew member of your ability._

The Razor Crest sputtered throughout the dark abyss of the galaxy. Smoke from the engines polluted the near pitch black darkness and further obscured the faint glow of stars that speckled off in the distance.

_And I can pay handsomely._

The Mandalorian piloting the wounded aircraft grunted in frustration. He rose from the worn leather pilots chair, steering with one gloved hand and flipping overhead switches with the other in a desperate attempt to gain control of his ship. The groan of both engines that were struck by enemy fire made him realize that immediately repairs were inevitable. His level of frustration was rising but he didn't want to lash out in front of The Child cooing excitedly in the copilot's seat. He reached past the small green creature to flip the emergency power switch, bringing some life flooding back into the beaten engines once more. They choked out some fire and smoke in protest, but tolerated beskar clad bounty hunter's demand to push onward. Mando looked over his shoulder to glance at The Child; its big black eyes crinkled in the corners from its smile when it looked directly into the hunter's T-frame of his helmet, right where his eyes were. The man turned to face forward and sighed. His new partner was already proving to be a handful. He didn't know why he decided to renounce his duty of turning The Child in. He collected his generous payment of beskar and should've been on his way to the next bounty, but something inside him wouldn't let him turn his back on the helpless creature. The fact that it was to be used for malicious intent didn't sit right with the hardened bounty hunter. Normally he didn't care what befell his bounties once he turned them in. Don't ask don't tell. It was his job to collect and return, nothing more.

The entire Guild was after them now. Mando knew with each passing moment there were more and more trackers being passed around that would draw bounty hunters to their location. They wouldn't stop coming until The Child was relinquished into someone else's possession; someone else who's intentions were not as kind as the Mandalorian's.

The barren, dusty planet of Tattooine grew larger in the view of the hunter's visor. The closer they descended into its atmosphere, the more the battle worn pilot was submerged into his own thoughts as well. As a man who thought out things carefully and always had a plan, he had to admit to himself he had been acting rather spontaneously the past few days. He normally only cared for himself, living day to day searching for the next job that would keep him busy, fuel his ship, and put food in his stomach. Once his task was done, he would drag his weary body back to his relic of a ship before resting on an old, withered cot tucked away in a makeshift sleeping quarter. It was a simple, lonely life. Mando didn't ask for much other than the bare minimum. It's all he knew. All he was content with. But this, this little green child wrapped in a burlap sack, was throwing everything off. The minute the bounty hunter went back for him, he was giving up the simplicity of his day to day life. That in and of itself was more stressful than the hunter would care to admit. It's one thing having a new crew member, but taking in an innocent, defenseless child was another. There were still jobs to be completed, credits to be made, food to put on the table. However, not just for himself this time, but now for someone else as well. He had to provide basic needs for The Child, but also protect it, watch over it, and rehome it. Mando sighed once more once the weight of his new responsibilities began to sink in. Yet, he had no regrets. He wouldn't dare take back rescuing The Child, fighting off his fellow Guild members, and now becoming the most sought after man in the galaxy. He just couldn't do it alone.

An Ugnaught named Kuiil from Arvala-7 that helped lead him to the foundling, was the Mandalorian's ideal candidate for another crew member. With a heavy heart weighed down by disappointment, the bounty graciously accept the moisture farmer's refusal of the job offer. Kuiil in turn spoke of another person who might be able to fill his shoes: a woman who resided on Tattooine. He did not know her name, nor her past, or even really what she looked like. Mando was thankful his helmet was able to hide the bit of annoyance and confusion that trickled throughout his expression. There was no point in searching for someone when he knew nothing about them.

"If you truly need help, she is the one to seek out," Kuiil sternly explained as he turned his back to the considerably taller man. Mando looked on silently as Kuiil fed and cared for his beloved blurrgs. "She does not trust easily, but you can place your trust in her."

The beskar armor the bounty hunter wore rustled when he shifted his feet in confusion. "But it will be impossible to find her. You yourself said you don't know much about this person. You gave me nothing to go by."

Kuiil's focused his attention on the intimidating presence looming behind him. "Black hair. Golden eyes. She does not show her face."

It was a start, but Mando pushed for more intel. "Where on Tattooine? And how do you know of her? If she doesn't show her face, then how-"

"I have spoken." Kuiil answered sternly. He was probably the only man throughout all the stars and planets that would dare deny a Mandalorian information, let alone cut them off. He turned towards his blurrg once more, his final statement signaling to his guest that their conversation was over.

Mando stood in another moment of silence before giving his thanks to the selfless man who aided him in his journey thus far. He turned to collect The Child, then made his way to his familiar, worn out seat in the cockpit. His body fit perfectly in the subtle indentations of the smooth fabric that had formed from all the years he spent piloting the antique of a ship. The copilot chairs alongside of him were untouched and looked almost anew. The leather stretched across the seat was firm and creaked slightly under the unfamiliar but light weight of The Child once the bounty hunter set him down. He gently buckled the small creature in, taking a second to give a once over of his new foundling. The Child's eyes widened and large ears perked up under the man's scrutiny but not out of fear. It cooed affectionately, expressing its content with being sat right next to its fearless, intimidating counterpart.

Another coo snapped the Mandalorian from his intrusive flashback. He looked back at the little copilot who stared at him with curiosity swimming in its naive, innocent eyes. A static hiss then broke through the silence of the cockpit, followed by a fellow human voice.

"This is Mos Eisley Tower. We are tracking you. Head for bay three-five. Over."

Mando gathered himself, remembering that they were in the process of making landfall on Tattooine for both repairs and in hopes of finding the woman Kuiil spoke of.

"Copy that," his deep, modulated voice echoed off the cold steel of the cockpit. "Locked in for three-five."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH GOD I actually published it. Well, here's the first chapter I guess. Wrote this for shiggles while procrastinating on writing other essays for my classes so BOOM, here it is. So yeah...hope you enjoy? The rest of the chapters are much, much longer.


	2. The Search

The thrill of the dogfight between the Mandalorian and the unfortunate bounty hunter who tried to cross paths with him, had worn off for The Child. The poor shape of both mutilated engines that were hanging on by a thread didn't make for the smoothest landing. It was very possible that once the engines were shut off this time, it would take much more work to get them started up once again. A simple flick of the emergency power switch would be useless at this point.

The beskar clad bounty hunter collected the now still and sleeping infant before laying it down on the cot. The Mandalorian stepped back slowly, eyeing The Child while it stirred peacefully in its sleep. It stilled once more, somehow nestling comfortably in the haggard, poor excuse of a cushioned mattress. The hunter quietly made his exit down the ship's ramp, setting off to find someone who would be able to provide adequate maintenance to the Razor Crest.

Three small approaching shadow figures caught his attention from the corner of his eye. He instinctively drew his blaster from his side and fired off warning shots in the direction he heard the multiple sets of footsteps emitting from. The electronic shrieks and metal feet pit pats of scattering pit droids hitting the desert floor caused the Mandalorian to cease fire. It was a bit of an overreaction on his part, but with his profession and newly acclaimed wanted status, it was more of an instinctual response. The screech of an angry woman sending threatening shouts his way however, was an illicit reaction well deserved.

"You damage one of my droids, you pay for it!" A slim figured, curly hair woman sauntered out of her office, hands balled into fists at her side. The large dusty windows looking into the landing bay made it easy for someone watching, to know full well it was a Mandalorian that was causing all the ruckus. Most people would cower in fear or scramble in the other direction at the sight of one of the legendary warriors. The fact that a tiny woman such as herself, bravely stomped over to the towering offender while chastising him loudly, caught him off guard.

"Just keep them away from my ship," Mando warned monotonously. The woman pushed past him, obnoxiously banging on every metal panel of the ship that looked out of the ordinary. She reluctantly agreed to making the repairs, but Mando knew her price was too steep and his pockets too empty. There was no other choice but to settle down for a bit on Tattooine and add finding work to his list of tasks to complete while he was there. He would wander from cantina to cantina if it meant finding a decent paying job. That would even give him the opportunity to ask around about the woman he was searching for. If things went smoothly, which they typically haven't been lately, he would succeeded in killing two birds with one stone.

"I'll get you your money," the bounty hunter promised. A Mandalorian's word was true. They abided by their promises and it was in their nature, no, culture to be dependable. Peli Motto, on the other hand, wasn't having it. Mandalorian or not, she was too no nonsense of a woman to give a damn about who or what you said you were. She frowned and rolled her eyes.

"I've heard that before." With a flick of her hand, she waved the other man off dismissively.

"Wait," his deep voice radiating through his helmets modulator stopped her from beginning her repairs. "I need to ask you a few questions. I'm...looking for someone."

Peli scoffed. "Why does that not surprise me? You know you're being a little demanding here, Mando. Depending on what you ask is gonna cost you more if you're not careful."

Mando suppressed a exasperated sigh. Instead, he turned his gaze back towards the battered Crest. "I'm looking for a woman."

"Well good luck finding one who will put up with you," Peli snorted.

"No," Mando corrected himself sternly, "that's not what I meant. I was told she would be on Tattooine. I don't know where and I don't have much to go by." Peli stared hard at him, waiting for him to further elaborate on who exactly he needed to find. "All I know is that she has black hair. She hides her face. Her eyes are-"

"Golden," Peli interrupted. Mando's head jerked back into her direction. His helmet tilted a bit to the side out of surprise that she possibly knew who he spoke of. "Yeah, I know who she is. Well, kinda. Don't know her name, don't think anyone does..." Peli trailed off, looking down at the pale desert floor with her eyebrows creased together. It was her turn now to stew over her words before she continued talking. Mando waited, surprisingly patient while she continued muttering softly to herself. Eventually, Peli lifted her hands up to him apologetically after ending her long-winded, self-discussion. "Yeah, I've heard of her! Last I heard she's in Mos Entha. Not horribly far from here but it'll be a pain of a walk. That, or I can let you rent something for a price."

Once more, Mando kept his irritated groan strictly internal. Having a bit more actually reliable information to go by was a breathe of fresh air, something that didn't come too often. Still, he didn't care for the fact that Peli was trying to milk him for every credit he didn't yet have.

* * *

It was much harder for Mando to keep a lower profile amongst the more populated city of Mos Entha. Portions if the street were bustling with commotion coming from the various spaced out marketplaces and traders. He could barely hear himself think over the aggressively bartering Jawas looking for their next high paying trade deal with merchandise that was more than likely not theirs. His fist involuntary clenched at the recollection of finding his ship torn apart and stripped by the pack of tiny annoying thieves, just days ago. They had the audacity to make him bargain for his own parts of the Crest. Luckily, Kuiil came through and helped him restore his ship to its state of normalcy and then some.

Mando got somewhat of a break from the overwhelming, deafening chatter erupting from the dense clusters of people. Every corner he turned, people would catch a glimpse of his shining armor and part out of his way quietly and effortlessly. Once he was out if sight, the echo of numerous voices picked right up back where it left off. Being around this many people in a more densely populated area than he currently liked, put the bounty hunter on edge. If he was to find this person, it had to be soon.

He wormed his way through the streets of Mos Entha and into one of the less crowded nearby cantinas. Once again, one by one everyone in the room fell silent once they turned to see who joined them. A few left, leaving their already paid for drinks behind, not even taking one last sip before slipping out the door once the Mandalorian passed them by. A few shrank defensively in their seats, praying to miraculously go unnoticed by the life form scanner embedded in Mando's visor. The bartender froze completely when he realized he was the unfortunate prey locked onto by the hunter's stoic, unreadable gaze.

Mando meant no harm, but of course no one else knew that. He effortlessly slid himself onto one of the barstools, slipping a hand into one of his pockets. The bartender's breath hitched and he let out a small tremor of fear. His posture relaxed some when Mando placed his hand on top of the counter then slowly removed it, leaving a what few handful of credits he did still have, in its place.

"I'm looking for someone," he began softly. His voice was just above a whisper, the modulator barely able to pick it up. It was just loud enough for the bartender to hear thanks to the stillness of the cantina. "I've heard she's here, in Mos Entha. A woman with black hair and golden eyes." Mando finished his sentence by pushing the credits in the other man's direction in attempt to entice him to speak.

The cantina employee didn't dare take the currency quite yet out of fear of angering the Mandalorian seated at his bar. "Y-yes. I know who you speak of," he croaked. "She's a-a mechanic at a hanger not f-f-far from here. B-but that's all I k-know. Promise." The man's voice cracked at the word "promise". Mando knew he was telling the truth. There was so much fear lacing those last two syllables that it was pitiful. He placed another credit on the table with the others, still maintaining eye contact with the poor soul who was subjected to his interrogation.

"Do you know her name?" He asked firmly. The bartender remained quiet. Mando doubted he knew seeing how no one else did around here. The bartender shook a bit more violently this time out of fear for telling the bounty hunter what he didn't want to hear: the word "no". Sensing his hesitation and out of a signal that it was okay to continue, Mando slipped one more credit on the countertop for the compliant man.

"N-not her real n-name. Around here, w-we all just call her...T-Tajana." Mando stared wordlessly in the direction of the bartender. He wasn't even necessarily watching him, rather just starting off while he pieced all the information together. After a few seconds for the hunter but what felt like an eternity to his prey, Mando said thank you and walked out of the cantina.

He looked around at the surrounding buildings, trying to see which one was the closest spaceport. From behind the protection of his cold, steel helmet, his eyes locked onto a massive, dome shaped tower.

He quickly strode towards the gigantic structure, pushing past anyone who dared stand in his way. It was still light outside but the end of the day would be drawing near shortly. Although his mind was set on finding the person Kuiil spoke of, he didn't dare forget the small green infant who was, hopefully, still sleeping peacefully on the Crest. He couldn't risk going back to check on The Child and then returning the next day to continue his search. Word would travel fast of a Mandalorian snooping around on Tattooine. That, and there must be some reason why this person doesn't show their face, some reason why they don't reveal their name. If there is by some chance a bounty on her, Mando didn't want to risk her catching wind that he was looking for her. He had come so far and couldn't mess it all up now. For all that it's worth, he hoped listening to Kuiil would be worth it. He had a strong trust in the man's intuition even though they had only known each other for a short while. The faith Mando had in the moisture farmer and the desperate need for another crew member, fueled the Mandalorian to keep at his search.

* * *

The streets of Tattooine seemed especially loud today. The various market stands drew in large crowds of people, and a certain golden eyed female could hear the roar of the bustling crowd from the landing bay of which she worked. Clusters of sparks and heat blossomed from the burning metal situated in her delicate hands, glowing bright red and white under her touch. Wisps of smoke bounced off her aviator like goggles that protected her honey amber eyes, and tried to snake its way through the fibers of a black scarf that obscured the lower half of her face.

She set town her tools and dusted off her gloved fingertips on the baggy thighs of her maintenance uniform. Peeling off the gloves one by one, she set them in her back pocket and sighed. Although it seemed busy beyond the walls of her work station, it was a rather slow day today with not much work to be done. It was a bit of a cooler day today on Tattooine, which isn't saying much, but that still didn't stop a few beads of sweat from forming on her golden, caramel skin. She lifted her goggles back to their usual resting spot on the top of her head, then reached back to tighten her long, black ponytail. Her work for the day was almost complete; just a few wires to be arranged and pieced back together with a bit of soldering here and there. She was knowledgeable in the field of spacecraft maintenance, something she picked up on during her stay on Arvala-7.

The girl approached her workbench casually and began to stuff some of her unused tools into a small duffle bag. Her movements slowed when it dawned on her that it seemed...quiet. Rather uncomfortably quiet for how loud it was just a second ago. It was if all the chatter of the patrons outside had stopped all at once. She was just about to poke her head around the entrance to her landing bay when the she was interrupted by the rapid thumping noise of hasty footsteps rounding the corner.

The man in charge of the entire ship docking station appeared before her, crouched over and out of breath. "It looks like a bounty hunter heading is here," her employer whispered harshly. "A Mandalorian. Stay out of his way. I'll tell the others." He scampered off, making his way to the surrounding docks warning them of the same approaching threat. It's not that he cared about the wellbeing of his employees, not by a long shot. Some of his hires had questionable histories but their labor was cheap and fruitful. It would be a pain to replace them with how much business was brought in. He was mearly giving a fair warning to anyone who needed to bolt if they had to. Best to lose an employee for a day or two while they hid than lose them forever in custody.

There was no use in finishing the final repairs to the ship she was assigned to fix today. The amount of work left to be done was minimal. She didn't know for sure if she was wanted or who the Mandalorian was _actually_ after. The fear of the repercussions of certain occurrences in the past leading up to her settling down in Mos Espa, made her realize it was best to hide. There was a reason why she hid her name and face from the public.

A few of her fellow workers had the same idea of fleeing. She followed the sound of their bounding footsteps that raced out into the streets. Some ran so fast that the air was thick in some spots from the amount of powdery dirt their boots had kicked up. She herself was quick, but the second of hesitation she had in the bay on whether or not to leave proved to be one second too long in her escape.

Her sprint came to a sudden halt. It was as if the air around her grew thick and heavy in a split second. Every muscle in her body told her to keep going, but every ounce of her instinct told her that would be a foolish decision to do so. The looming heaviness in the air caused her breathe to catch in her throat; every hair on her arm stood straight up.

"You there," a heavily modulated baritone broke out from the intense silence, "turn around."

It was a man's voice. It was unfamiliar to her, but also very hard and demanding. She sensed no hostility in his tone but something told her not to push him. She knew very little about Mandalorians, but had heard some impressive stories about their kind over the years. There was a reason why people panicked when one came near.

Every fiber of her being was torn between complying and running. She said nothing. The blood pumped so hard in her ears that it was nearly deafening, yet she could still make out the subtle clattering of beskar shifting behind her. The Mandalorian was growing impatient quickly from her lack of response. Before she could open her mouth to speak, he did so for her.

"An Ugnaught from Arvala-7 sent me. Perhaps you know who I speak of." The girl worriedly jerked her head in the direction of the intruder staring her down.

"Is he okay?" Her voice was strong and clear with a strong hint of concern underlying her words. If she was afraid, she did a damn good job of hiding it. A bit of relief washed over the Mandalorian at the sure confirmation that this is who he was searching for.

"Yes," he said bluntly. "He generously helped me locate a bounty and-"

"So you are a bounty hunter," she spat. She was small in stature, even more so in comparison to the intimidating man standing several feet away from her. "What do you want with me?" Her fingers twitched in the direction of her calf where unbeknownst to Mando, a sheathed dagger rested soundly in her boot. Her sudden aura of hostility and subtle movement dared not go unnoticed by the keen eye of the Mandalorian. His gloved hand instinctively darted a just a hair closer towards to his blaster, hesitating just over the handle resting on his side.

"I'm not here to collect you," he said calmly. "I'm here strictly for business purposes." The tension in the small woman's frame subsided a minuscule amount. She turned around completely to finally stare down the man who dared bring all this chaos to Tattooine. Not like it was the most peaceful planet to begin with, but it was still a bit better than some.

"If you wanted repairs, you should've brought your ship to my docking station just like every body else," she said boldly. Her striking honey colored irises scanned the blackened T-shaped visor of Mando's helmet, tinged with annoyance and still brewing with malice from his intrusion.

"I'm not here for your handiwork," he retorted. "There are other duties I'm seeking a crew member for, one of which I would like to address with you in private."

She crossed her arms and mounted her feet sternly in place. "If you have anything to tell me you can say it here. You've already scared the others off. And why me? Why not anyone else or Kuiil himself?"

"He didn't wish to live a life of servitude." Mando said coldly. His patience was running out and this girl was a bit too stubborn for his own liking. He had to return to The Child soon and didn't want to waste time with nonsensical bickering.

"What makes you think I do? I've done my fair share of time and I won't speak more of this," she hissed.

Mando stood still as could be. There was no getting through to her but with his face, or rather helmet, being known all throughout the galaxy as a wanted man, there wasn't a large selection of people he could choose from when it came to who he would trust to watch over The Child and maintain the Razor Crest. He wasn't even sure if he could trust this argumentative girl before him, but Kuiil's word was strong. He gave it one more shot.

"Kuiil said I could trust you but that it would be hard for you to trust in someone else. I'm not exactly asking you to," Mando began calmly. He paused to gauge her reaction and sighed when the scorned expression in her eyes didn't falter. "Listen, I need someone to help pilot my ship on occasion, along with doing any repairs as needed. I also...need someone to watch my foundling when I'm not around."

That seemed to melt the iciness of her stare. "You have a child?" She asked softly.

"Yes. He needs to be protected at all costs. I can even offer you the same." The girl appeared as if she was about to cut him off once more but a raised gloved hand from the bounty hunter silenced her. "I know there's a reason why you hide your face and why no one on this planet, not even Kuiil himself, knows your real name. You panicked when you heard a bounty hunter was here, even if you won't admit it, you did. So again, I'm offering you all of this along with generous pay."

Mando waited a good while for her to answer, but to no avail. Another surge of annoyance bubbled in his chest at him wasting his time on such a stubborn soul. He could have found a job and made the credits needed to pay Peli by now. Instead, he went through the trouble of tracking down this infuriating woman just to be ignored in the end.

Mando clenched his fists. "I need to know your answer soon. Repairs are being done to my ship in Mos Eisley. Once those are completed, I'll be leaving Tattooine." Even as he turned to make his leave, the woman said nothing.

His thin, torn cape made a sharp crack in the air from his sudden movement. He could feel her piercing stare on his back the entire walk out of the docking station, but she still remained quiet.

Mando grudgingly made his way back to Mos Eisley. It was the most unsuccessful day for him a quite a while. He hated leaving empty handed. He didn't even remember the last time he didn't complete a job successfully, even though finding the girl wasn't exactly a "job" per say. In the meantime, he had to find work. Doing something he was good at would make the day that much better, but it was getting late. As much as it pained him to stay stationary in one city for too long, he had no other option.

When he got back to the hanger, Peli was nowhere to be found. The suns on Tattooine were beginning to set, painting the sky in glorious rich hues of red, yellow, orange, and gold.

Gold.

Mando's mind flashed back to the woman that caused him a great deal of annoyance and inconvenience all afternoon. He let out a long, repressed sigh before retiring in the hull of his cherished gunship. He sorted through some of his belongings to look for something edible yet too pathetic to call "a meal". His supplies were running low, his ship was still a wreck, his pockets were empty, and he was just...tired.

Mando collected what bits of food he had, rationing out a tiny amount for himself and most of it for The Child. He opened the sliding door to his cramped sleeping quarters, gazing down at the tiny, sleeping foundling nestled up on the worn down mattress. He didn't want to admit it to himself, but the uneasiness he was feeling was that of feeling overwhelmed. It made him feel sick, weak, and pathetic.

Mandalorians weren't supposed to feel this way. This wasn't the first hardship of his life, nor would it be the last. The negative thoughts swirling in his mind began to dissipate when The Child stirred and glimpsed up at his caretaker. With a small coo and a smile revealing his tiny nubby teeth, Mando felt more at ease. He was doing all of this for the one little creature in front of him. That's all that mattered to him now. A new day meant for a new chance to make things better.

The Mandalorian woke later than usual due to a night of a whining, restless infant waking him up off and on. The Child had worn himself out late into the night and still slept heavily even when Mando prepared to depart the Crest for the day. Walking down the ramp leading outside, Mando caught a glimpse of Peli through the dirt coated office window. He shook his head when he noticed she was busy gambling away with her droids rather than doing anything productive. Already he was starting his day off annoyed again. He was planning on spending his time looking for work to cover the rather generous amount of credits he was to pay Peli for the repairs. The sight of her casually lazing around in return, irritated him so.

Venturing into the streets of Mos Eisley, Mando stepped inside the first open cantina he saw. It wasn't overly crowded, much to his liking. He gathered the same response he always does when he's in public; everyone stares, some flee, everyone's quiet.

"Hey, droid," Mando called out. "I'm a hunter. I'm looking for some work." The animatronic bartender cocked its head towards the bounty hunter.

"Unfortunately, the Bounty Guild no longer operates from Tatooine."

"I'm not looking for Guild work," Mando responded.

"I am afraid that does not improve your situation. At least by my calculation," the droid deadpanned.

Dank Farrik. Looks like his luck wasn't improving much more than from yesterday's.

"Think again, tin can."

The Mandalorian turned around slowly. He made eye contact, as much as he could through his visor, with a younger gentleman dressed in obviously new and unused bounty hunting attire. Both of his feet were resting up on the tabletop in an annoying, self-absorbed manner. His boots were relatively polished and dirt free, giving more of a glowing indication that he was green behind the ears in the world of hunting.

"If you're looking for work, have a seat, my friend. Name's Toro. Toro Calican."

The two men conversed not so quietly about a bounty Mando would be lending his assistance on. Unbeknownst to the pair, lurking several feet away and flush with the cantina wall, was the raven haired girl that so easily got under Mando's skin the day before. She eavesdropped as much as she could, catching bits and pieces of just who the target was and where she might be located.

Calican's ignorance was becoming too much for Mando to take seriously. When the scraping of a chair coming from their table echoed through the barren cantina, Tajana quickly retreated outside. No one came after her once she slithered outside, the bright mid-day sun shining on her sun-kissed, tan skin. There was a metallic, smash sound coming from just before the doorway that made her jump slightly. Calican was the first to make his way out; the other bounty hunter wouldn't be far behind.

Mando slowly stepped foot out into the streets of Tattooine. His flawless beskar armor radiated the sunlight back into the eyes of anyone who dared look his way. He turned his head to look back in the direction from whence he came, failing to notice the woman he spent all day yesterday searching for.

"So what's our first job, Mando?"

Mando jerked back, his blaster drawn from his side in a few milliseconds. He pointed the weapon in the direction he heard his name come from.

"T-Tajana." He flinched at the way his voice came through the modulator; there was a bit of an uncharacteristic startled undertone that was very much unlike the skilled bounty hunter.

Standing in the shade to the side of the cantina door stood the woman from Mos Entha. Though her expression was mostly hidden, she frowned into her scarf at the disdain for the name the townsfolk gave her. Had it not been for her honey golden eyes and signature black scarf, Mando would barely have recognized her.

Her attire wasn't that of a dirtier maintenance uniform anymore. The only things remotely similar to how he first saw her included her black hair that was now tied into a messy bun with her goggles still resting on the top of her head like before, and she still had on the scarf that covered her neck to just below her eyes.

She eased herself off the cantina's wall, slowing making her way to walk in front of the Mandalorian with her hands up to show she meant no harm. He lowered his blaster some, but paused before putting it back in its holster when his eyes caught a glimpse of what appeared to be two sheathed daggers resting across the small of her back, and a blaster of her own resting on the outside of her thigh. She turned to face him, her piercing eyes staring right into his helmet's solid black visor.

"You can put down the blaster, Mando. I'm not here to hurt you, if that's what your wondering. I'm just here to take you up on your offer, albeit a little late." The bounty hunter stood still as could be, not moving a single muscle. She couldn't even see his chest rising or falling as he waited on bated breath for her to explain her sneaking up on him. Breaking his silence, Mando spoke up with his usual harsh and straightforward tone.

"How did you find me?" he demanded. Tajana scoffed and crossed her arms.

"You do know you aren't the most inconspicuous person walking around here, right? It's quite easy to find a Mandalorian in a haystack around these parts."

Mando bit his tongue once more. She wasn't wrong, which was another reason why he needed to finish his job with Toro quickly and leave Tattooine. She took his silence as a means to continue.

"I overheard your conversation with the novice hunter. I want in."

"Absolutely not," he said a little too quickly. "I can't have you getting in my way or slowing me down. I don't even know how much I can trust you."

Her eyes narrowed, that intense flicker of anger further intensifying the amber speckles in her stare. "You don't trust me, yet you offered to hire me to watch after your child? Can you explain that backwards logic to me?"

Mando slipped his blaster back into its holster. His temper was rising and he was on the verge of shooting something if he wasn't careful. "Kuiil gave me his word that you were a trustworthy option when it came to looking for a crew member. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt because I have much faith in the man's judge of character. What I don't trust, is your strength or decision making when it comes to battle."

Tajana relaxed some, closing her eyes and letting out a soft sigh. When they reopened, the smoldering hostility in her gaze was extinguished and when she spoke, her voice was much softer. "Then let this be my trial run for you. Let me show you I can defend your foundling when you aren't around, and that I can hold my own just fine."

Mando shook his head. "Not with this job. The target is too dangerous."

"I'm aware who you're after," Tajana countered. "It's Fennec Shand. If you're allowing some wanna be Guild member with no experience to join in on your hunt, then why not me? You'll definitely need my help."

He remained silent.

"I would appreciate some feedback here," Tajana remarked.

"I'm thinking."

"Don't hurt yourself, Mando."

Maker this woman knew how to get under his skin. He clenched his fists at his side for the umpteenth time since they crossed paths. "Fine! Fine. But if I feel you're any bit unsuitable for this hunt, if you get in my way at all, my offer for you is off the table."

* * *

"Come, this way." Mando and his new partner made their way towards the dusty hanger where the Crest sat dormant. The repairs were coming along nicely, even nearly finished. There were a few fine tunings that Peli had to work on; small tasks that would've been completed had it not been for the no droid rule.

With a few touches of the controls on his gauntlet, Mando lowered the hatch leading into the aircraft. He took a few strides up the ramp, finally pausing when he noticed he didn't hear any footsteps following beside him. He whipped his head around, staring impatiently at the slightly younger woman that was supposed to be accompanying him. She stood there at the base of the ramp, glancing around at the newly refurbished exterior of the Razor Crest.

"So this is your ship, huh?" She asked, running a small gloved hand over the sand coated steel.

"Yes," he answered shortly. Tajana removed her hand, following up the steps to join the brooding hunk of beskar that stared her down.

"I've never seen one of these before. Looks like she's still holding up, even after the beating I'm assuming you put her through that landed you here? You should know older things require more care, Mando."

Again, Mando was silent. "Old" is a phrase he's heard numerous times that people used to refer to his ship. Granted, it was still much better than the "piece of junk" or "horribly outdated" he commonly heard. It didn't necessarily hurt his feelings when people degraded his ship, but it was still his home people were talking down on. The Crest was sturdy. Reliable even. It did the job and welcomed him back when he was done with his own. He didn't have the luxury of using a ship just as means to travel. It's where he lived. Mando didn't mind her word of choice to describe the Crest. A lot of memories and feelings of stability tend to come from things that have been around for a while. "Old" was just fine.

"Maintenance is part of what I'm hiring you for," he spoke up after a minute. "The other part is for watching the foundling."

When they made their way around the inside of the Crest, Tajana continued to take in her surroundings. She took note of where everything appeared to be: the entrance to the cockpit, an arsenal cabinet, the carbon freezing chamb-

The heavy thudding of footsteps caught her attention before she could map out the rest of the gunship. The metal flooring vibrated intensely when a charging Mandalorian rushed towards the exit. The smaller female was immensely caught off guard and did her best to step back out of his way. Mando's impenetrable armor slammed into her side, not so graciously knocking her against the hard gunship interior walls. She balanced herself and regained her composure from the bounty hunter's spontaneous freak out. Nursing her shoulder and arm, her attention was directed to distant shouting back in the direction of the hanger's office.

Tajana pushed herself off the wall and cautiously staggered down the ramp with one hand resting on her blaster. She perked up upon hearing a woman screeching angrily at some poor soul. "You woke it up! Do you have any idea how long it took me to get it to sleep?"

"Give him to me," Mando growled. The iciness and hard tone in his words made a small shiver travel down Tajana's spine.

Peli saw right through his cold exterior. "Not so fast! You can't just leave a child all alone like that. You know, you've got an awful lot to learn about raising a young one."

"I'm well aware," Mando barked. "That's why I hired her." Without even looking, he jerked his head back towards the entrance of the Crest. Peli, still clutching the Child tightly, stood on her tiptoes to try to catch a glimpse over the Mandalorian's broad shoulders. She locked eyes with the girl making her way towards all the commotion. Turning her attention back to Mando, she grinned.

"Ah okay Mando! I see you finally found the girl you were looking so hard for." The bounty hunter went rigid.

There was a brief silence beginning to settle in the air before Peli began explaining the progress she made as far as repairs goes. Tajana tuned her out and instead, she focused her attention on the tiny creature wrapped in a brown burlap sack that was tucked in Peli's arms. She could make out large green ears, a wrinkly little forehead, and two big black eyes that stared right back at her with all the curiosity in the world.

"...You got a job, didn't you? You know it's costing me a lot of money to keep these droids even powered up." The last part of Peli's one sided conversation snatched her attention back to the adults in the room.

Tajana glared up at the taller man, golden eyes ignited by anger once again. "Did you hire me when you can't even afford the repairs on your ship?"

Mando loomed over her in a threatening fashion, yet the hostile girl didn't back down. "My current financial status is only temporary," he said in a low voice. "This job will pay a hefty sum, and there will be more to follow. I'm a man of my word. Don't doubt me."

There was a subtle annunciation towards the end of his warning. Mandalorians were some of the most dependable people in the galaxy. It always rubbed Mando the wrong way when someone dared to question the honestly of his word. The bounty hunter stared down at her for a few more seconds, just to make sure he got his point across before walking away from the trio.

"Calican should be here by now. Get a move on if you're still coming," he called out.

Tajana still had her feet firmly in place. She cast a glare over her shoulder at the receding figure of the Mandalorian.

"Don't let him boss you around," Peli said sternly. "Underneath all that shiny armor, he's still just a man." With a small nod, Tajana followed after Mando towards the doorway leading into Peli's hanger.

Mando stood silently as always next to two speeder bikes, one that had a younger, relatively handsome man perched on its seat already. He turned his attention to the approaching woman, giving her a not so subtle once over up and down. Tajana's eyes narrowed slightly. When she overheard the conversation between the two men earlier that afternoon, she knew Calican sounded like an arrogant prick from how high and mighty he presented himself. She only got a slight glimpse of him in Mos Eisley. Looking at him up close, she solidified the idea in her head that yes, he really was a tool.

"Well look here Mando, you got a lady friend tagging along?" Tajana bit her tongue and fought back an exasperated eye roll.

Mando circled the two run down speeder bikes, giving them a good look as well. Calican took Mando's lack of response and lackadaisical attitude towards the bikes as an insult. "Whaddya expect? This ain't Corellia."

Peli walked out carrying the Child to catch a glimpse of what the bounty hunter's were planning. Calican acknowledged her presence and nodded towards her before looking back at the Mandalorian.

"In case you didn't notice, we only have two speeders. Either someone has to stay, or your friend has to ride with me." He surveyed Mando's reaction with a sense of haughtiness. Once again, the lack of feedback from the hunter made Calican speak up in his place. "Looks like that settles it," Calican smiled. He scooted forward some and looked back at the golden eyed girl who still was staring daggers at him, if not more-so now. "Hop on and hold tight."

Tajana stood in place defiantly. "What makes you think I'm riding with you?"

Calican shifted in his seat nervously. "Well you can't ride with Mando. His armor weighs the speeder down enough."

Tajana stared him down even harder. "What are you insinuating, boy?"

Calican twitched more under the murderous intent in her gaze. "I just...I didn't mean it that...way." His voice was wavering and he looked over at Mando for help, a bit of fear nestled in his brown eyes.

Mando kept staring ahead at the endless sea of powdery sand dunes. His modulator didn't pick up on the small snort that he made under the heaviness of his helmet and on the outside, he still appeared as stoic as could be.

Tajana proceeded to mount the younger man's speeder, sitting down roughly on the small space behind his back. There was barely any room on the seat for the two of them on the typically one person vehicle. Calican jumped when he felt her arms tightly grip around his waist, more in a threatening fashion than for her safety. The sudden movement made the already slightly unstable speeder wobble under the weight shift.

"If you kill us, I'll fucking end you," Tajana warned darkly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK SO HERE'S 2.  
> Honestly, I have quite a few more chapters written. The next is...80% done. I feel meh about it so I'll go back and change a few things and add more. But yay, here you go.


	3. The Betrayal

The suns beat down on the backs of the three hunters as they raced through the rugged sand dunes of Tattooine. It would be too generous of the desert planet to allow the breeze that whipped across the exposed skin of Tajana and Calican to be that of a cooling relief from the arid landscape. No, it was a continuous, sweltering gust of air that blew past them during their entire journey. It was only after a good two or three hours that Mando's raised fist in Calican's peripheral vision signaled them to stop.

"What's going on?" The young man asked impatiently. Mando gestured up ahead over a few rolling sand hills. Calican stepped off the speeder bike to get a closer look with the use of his binoculars. Tajana walked slowly to his side to get a glimpse for herself. She pulled her goggles down over her eyes, flipping through some of the settings on the side of her eye-ware to hone in on any threats ahead.

"Tusken Raiders," she noted out loud.

Calican sneered at the sight of them. "I heard the locals talking about this filth."

"Tuskens think they are the locals," Mando corrected. "Everyone else is just trespassing."

Calican straightened his posture and puffed out his chest. "Well, whatever they call themselves, they best keep their distance." Tajana couldn't resist the urge to roll her eyes at his abhorrent tough guy demeanor.

"Yeah?" Mando played along. "Why don't you tell them yourself?"

The inexperienced hunter whipped his head around to come face to face with two Tuskens. He stumbled backwards, hand clutched tight on the handle of his blaster while he simultaneously tried to gather his footing in the powdery sand.

"Relax," Mando snapped. He looked towards the natives and raised his hands to begin communicating with them in sign language. Tajana and Calican watched in silence while Mando spoke back and forth with the Raiders. When one of the Raiders outstretched their hand towards Mando, Tajana knew where conversation was going; they were demanding retribution for passage through their land.

Mando glanced over towards a naive Calican who was warily watching the silent exchange between the two parties. He stretched out his hand towards the younger man. "Hey, let me see the binocs."

Tajana couldn't help but grin under the obscurity of her scarf, knowing what he was about to do with the piece of equipment. So Mando _did_ have a sense of humor.

The trio continued making their way across the desert, although now short Calican's binoculars. It didn't take long before Mando signaled them to stop once again, this time stepping off his bike with a sense of urgency. He approached the overlook of the sand dune they had stopped behind. Both Toro and Tajana joined Mando at the top of the ridge, all three looking down across the way at a dewback trudging around in circles. It wandered around aimlessly, letting out several groans of frustration here and there. Tajana felt a nervous lump in her throat when she realized the dewback wasn't exactly alone; it was dragging the body of its rider behind it.

"Cover me," Mando said suddenly while drawing his blaster. Tajana shot a startled look at the hunter.

"Hey, no, wait a second-"

"Stay down!" Mando commanded harshly. He sprinted out from the cover of the large sand dune, slowing his pace the closer he stepped towards the beast and the lifeless form carried behind it. Mando crouched over the corpse then flipped it over carefully. "It's another bounty hunter," he called out behind him. He began sorting through some of the belongings that had spilled out from the pockets of the deceased stranger.

"Hey I hope you're not planning on keeping all that stuff for yourself," Calican whined. "Can I at least have that blaster?"

"Something's...not right about this," Tajana mumbled. Her eyes darted from Mando, to Calican, to some of the rolling sandy hills in the upper ground levels. Wait...higher..groun-

"Get down!" Mando yelled. Calican pulled down roughly on Tajana's sleeve when the high pitched, pinging sound of a bullet striking on beskar broke through the tense atmosphere.

"Shit," she swore. Another sharp tug on her jacket yanked her back down behind the cover of a sand dune when she tried make her move to provide aid to the bounty hunter.

"Don't get yourself killed!" Calican growled. Tajana slapped his hand away in disgust. Before she could stand, Mando launched himself over the top of the ridge. He landed right besides the pair, another shot from an enemy sniper rifle making contact with one of his beskar pauldrons at the exact same moment. Tajana looked him over quickly and sighed in relief when the noticed neither of the shots had maimed the Mandalorian any.

He was panting heavily, trying to collect himself after being placed into the role of the hunted rather the hunter. When it was apparent that the tables had turned dramatically, Mando proposed they wait until nightfall to make their next move. He traveled down the dune towards where the speeders were positioned. "I'm going to rest," he told the others while taking a seat against one of the bikes. "Keep a close eye on the ridge the shots came from."

"All right, suns are down," Calican called to the rest of the group. He glanced over at the Mandalorian that was still propped up against one of the speeders, head tilted down in an apparent resting position. "Time to ride, Mando." When he received no response, he scoffed and stepped in front of the sleeping hunter.

"What the hell are you doing?" Tajana hissed quietly.

Calican waved a hand to shush her. He grinned cockily in his own amusement. "Look at you, asleep on the job, old man." He chuckled and looked towards Tajana. She didn't find him nearly as amusing as he thought himself to be, especially when he started playing gunslinger in front of the sleeping Mando.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you not to point your gun at people if you have no intention to shoot them?" She groaned. "Or even basic trigger discipline, for that manner."

"You're a bit of a killjoy, you know that?" Toro snapped. He continued pointing his gun playfully at Mando. This time, it was strictly for the purpose of annoying the female hunter.

"You done?" Mando's modulator spoke out.

"Y-yep," Calican stuttered. "I was just, you know...waking you up. Come on!"

Mando looked past the frazzled novice to see Tajana silently shaking her head to herself in disbelief that they ended up stuck with this fool.

"Get on your bike," Mando commanded them both. "Ride as fast as you can towards those rocks." He passed Tajana a flash charge once she had mounted herself firmly on Calican's speeder. "We alternate shots. It'll blind any scope temporarily. Combine that with our speed and we got a chance."

They sped towards the ridge where Calican had noticed the sniper rifle being fired from just hours ago. The two bikes traveled side by side, Mando firing the first flash round high into the air. The round erupted into a bright, firework explosion of blue and white light. Off to the side, and crimson red blaster shot whizzed past the two speeders, far off to the side from its intended target.

"Now!" Mando yelled. Tajana raised her charge in the same manner the Mandalorian did, successfully blinding Fennec upon both her and the enemy sniper firing their weapons. Before Tajana could let off the next round, Calican jerked the bike to the side in an attempt to weave in and out of Mando's path.

It was an attempt to interfere with Fennec's tracking; all it did was cause Tajana to lose her balance for a split second on the speeder, causing her to shoot the flash round straight ahead directly into the sand. Fennec seized the opportunity from the misfire; she locked onto Mando's bike, taking aim and firing one shot directly into his vehicle. It buckled underneath him, collapsing under his weight and sending him flying several feet forward.

Tajana looked back in horror once the speeder smashed into the desert floor and disintegrated from the impact. Mando managed to get to his feet, although dazed from having the wind knocked out of him. He fired off one final flash charge, allowing Calican and Tajana to make it the short remainder of the way. As soon as Mando pulled the trigger, so did Fennec. Her sniper round collided with his beskar chest plate, knocking him backwards onto the ground. Calican sprinted towards where Fennec had taken cover; Tajana rushed towards the battered Mandalorian. She fired her final round into the night sky in one more desperate attempt of a distraction. Fennec fired in her direction, the blaster round grazing past Tajana ever so slightly. She recoiled away from the heat of the shot, still hellbent on reaching her downed partner.

"Mando, we gotta go. We gotta move!" She yelled. He unsteadily brought himself to his feet, Tajana gripping onto his arms to sturdy him.

"Where's Calican?" He asked breathlessly. His question answered itself when they both heard the yells and grunts of a bounty and quarry fighting close by.

"We gotta go," Tajana repeated. "He doesn't stand much of a chance."

The pair arrived to the top of the ridge just in time to see Calican slammed down and pinned by Fennec. She grabbed his arm tightly, jerking it backwards with a loud pop. It was only after Calican's groan of agony, did Mando alert Fennec of his and Tajana's presence.

"Nice distraction," he mused. Fennec stiffened. Turning her head to the side, she took in the sight of two blasters pointed in her direction. She released the younger hunter and rose to her feet slowly with her hands up in surrender. As Calican stood up to redeem his composure, Mando tossed Fennec a pair of binders.

"Cuff yourself," he instructed. Once she did so, he turned his attention to Calican. "Why don't you go and find your blaster?"

Fennec looked Mando up and down, sarcastically whistling in amusement. "A Mandalorian. It's been a long time since I've seen one of your kind." She grinned to herself and raised one eyebrow suspiciously. "Ever been to Nevarro? I hear things didn't go so well there but...it looks like you got off easy."

Toro and Tajana curiously shifted their eyes in Mando's direction, figuring it was some kind of banter that went over their heads. "Well you don't have to worry about getting to Nevarro or anywhere else once we turn you in," Calican said boldly. "You know I really should thank you. You're my ticket into the Guild."

Fennec rolled her eyes and scoffed. "You're welcome."

There was one _slight_ , unforeseen problem. Due to the previously miscalculated firing of a flash round, they were now one speeder short. Tajana sighed in annoyance; this whole entire job was turning out to be more effort than what it was worth.

"I need you to go and find that dewback we saw," Mando addressed to Calican.

"And leave you two here?" Toro sneered while gesturing between Mando and Tajana. "With my bounty and my ride? Yeah, I don't think so."

Mando tilted his head towards Tajana in shared irritation. He turned his back towards the rest of the group and scanned the horizon with his built in HUD. He managed to pick up a sliver of a far off heat signature several ridges down from there they stood.

"I can go, Mando," Tajana offered.

"No," he cut her off. "I'll do it. Stay and watch her. Him too. Don't let her get near the bike. She's no good to us dead." Before they could reply, Mando stepped forward to begin walking towards the distant dewback.

"Tch, watch him too?" Calican mocked once Mando was out of earshot.

* * *

"I'm going up top. Maybe I can see Mando from there." Tajana turned her back on Calican and Fennec, eyeing just where would it would be best to start climbing the tall, rocky surface behind them.

"Are you crazy? You can't climb that!" Calican shouted. He gestured quite dramatically to the steep, rust colored plateau she was referring to. Yeah, there were no ledges to climb easily, but that didn't seem to be a problem.

Tajana ignored him. She stared up at a promising looking rock formation near the top of the cliff. "Don't do anything stupid," she grumbled. "I'll be right back."

She pointed her arm towards where the rocks seem most sturdy. One of the gauntlets she wore released a small, shining, silver rod. It opened, revealing four sharp silver hooks that latched themselves deep into the rocky surface. Tajana gave the grapple two solid tugs before ascending upwards. The hook she implanted didn't quite reach the top; locking herself in place, she extended her other hand upwards once more and fired a second hook closer to the ledge. She released the first hook and waited until it rested once more in her gauntlet before continuing the climb. The edge of the plateau was just within reach this time. Tajana locked herself in place once more before reaching to put one hand on the top of the cliff. With all the strength she could muster, she unlocked the grabbing hook rope to finally pull herself to the top. She took a minute to catch her breath before glancing over the edge to check on the other two. They were a bit of a distance away but not too out of reach to where she couldn't monitor them closely. Once they turned their attention away from her, she pulled her goggles down over her eyes.

Altering the settings, she tried different sensors to see if she could find any life form trudging its way through the desert terrain. She sighed at the lack of feedback she received and pulled her goggles back up after several minutes. Seating herself on the uncomfortable rocky surface, she entertained herself by flicking a few pebbles off of the ledge. "Stars, Mando, where are you?"

She wasn't necessarily concerned for the skilled bounty hunter. There was no doubt in her mind he was managing just fine but still, there was a growing feeling in the pit of her stomach that something wasn't quite right.

She looked on at the rising suns of Tattooine, taking in its growing warmth and beauty. It's a shame that such a place was crawling with criminals who brought with them violence and crime. Even after all she experienced living here, Tattooine was still her home planet.

The increase of volume coming from down at the base of the rocky cliff shook her from her thoughts. Her instincts were telling her to listen in on their conversation.

Rising up slowly, Tajana crept away from the edge. There were a few dips in the rocks where she could get a bit lower and closer to the now bickering Calican and Fennec. When she was above them, she stooped down as low as she could near the edge. "

...The Mandalorian. His armor alone's worth more than my bounty." Her blood ran cold and she grit her teeth.

"Dammit Fennec!" She hissed quietly to herself. The enemy sniper was trying to bargain her way to freedom. But wait, the realization dawned on Tajana that Calican wasn't in this for the money. He wanted the fame.

"I already told you I don't care about the money," Toro backfired. Tajana let out a small sigh of relief. Maybe he was smarter than he let on.

"Then think what it would do for your reputation," Fennec persuaded. "A Mandalorian shot up the Guild on Nevarro. Took some high value target and went rogue."

Tajana's heart dropped again. "No no no no no!" She whispered repeatedly to herself. This was going south, and fast. Fennec said the magic words that would put Calican under her spell, and Tajana wasn't there to stop it.

She scoured the edge of the cliff as best she could, looking for where she could grapple down quickly to stop Fennec from brainwashing the poor excuse for a bounty hunter.

"Fuck!" Tajana stood up suddenly out of desperation. Calican had gone silent and she knew he was strongly considering going after Mando. She knew he had no chance in a fight with the Mandalorian, but he still gave her a job to do. Her mistake of trusting Calican was about to ruin everything.

She grabbed the blaster from her side holster right as she heard a shot being fired. A hot searing pain exploded from her shoulder and spread throughout the rest of her body. The force from the blast knocked her back some. Sweat began forming on her forehead and she grit her teeth, fighting through the unpleasant, hot iron sensation. The sound of a second round being fired from Calican's blaster permeated the dry desert air.

Her stomach twisted into knots when she realized that second shot wasn't meant for her. Tajana stooped lower to the ground and cautiously snuck a peek at what was happening below. Calican had already begun to climb onto the speeder, leaving Fennec's lifeless form laying in the dirt. He sped off in the direction Mando had taken off to.

Getting to her feet once more, Tajana hastily pulled down her goggles with shaky hands to see if Mando was anywhere nearby. There was nothing in sight other than Toro speeding up and down the dunes towards Mos Eisley. There was nothing she could do now but pray Mando would show up. Even when he did, she was sure he would kill her and leave her body to rot with Fennec's. She did exactly what he told her not to do: ruin the hunt. Now he was left with a dead bounty and definitely no payment in return. She sighed and rubbed her temples.

"Dank Farrik."

* * *

Tajana knew the climb down would be a bit more challenging than the climb up. It was agonizingly painful to do it with a shoulder that had a blaster round shot through it. She bit her lip hard to try to distract herself from the burning hot feeling wreaking havoc on all of her nerves as she traveled downwards.

Her feet hit the ground and her knees buckled right after. Once the grappling hook retreated back into her wrist, she all but crawled towards a small nearby rock to lean up against. She was panting hard, her shoulder now bleeding from the pulling and yanking movements of the grapple. She fought back the nausea that was creeping up from her stomach and closed her eyes, trying her absolute best to regain her composure and think about her next move.

Several minutes had passed and she felt herself getting a bit weaker as time went on. She had to find a way to stop the bleeding. Tajana reached up carefully to grasp at the black fabric encircling her neck. Just when she gave it a light tug in an attempt to loosen the scarf's hold in her, she watched as the shape of a heavy set animal bobbed up and down over the mountains of sand.

The unmistakable shimmer of sunlight off of beskar further caught her attention. To say she was both relieved and terrified was an understatement. Now she knew the fear of being a Mandalorian's target, and it wasn't a pleasant feeling.

When she first came across the stoic, intimidating man that was twice her size, she felt nothing. She wasn't scared when she heard a possible bounty hunter was sweeping the hangars in Mos Entha looking for someone. She wasn't scared when she heard his deep voice radiate through his helmet's modulator, commanding her to turn and face him. She wasn't scared when she surprised him outside of the cantina, causing him to pull his own blaster on her. But now, the closer and closer he got to her and knowing she had actually wronged him this time, the feeling of fear sent her vitals into even more of a frenzy.

The dewback's clumsy trots transitioned to a much slower gait once the Mandalorian approached the bloody scene. Mando sat completely stiff once they managed to come to a halt. Without a moments hesitation, he smoothly slid himself down the side of the massive creature. He took slow steps towards Fennec, not saying anything or acknowledging Tajana in any way.

Her eyelids fluttered and she tried to straighten her posture while she sat propped up against the desert rock. She held her shoulder tight to cover up her wound and cover up her embarrassment that such a lowly, two-faced, idiot of a man wounded her this way. Mando tilted his head in her direction. He was just...staring. Neither of them said a word to each other. It was dead silent except from the soft rapid pants coming from the raven haired woman. She was too worn out and nervous to speak. Even if she could, she knew he wouldn't listen to any kind of explanation. Yet, to her surprise, he didn't shoot her dead on the spot.

Mando took a few slow strides over to her, then stooped down to her level. The sand being ground beneath his boots sounded deafening due to the stillness enveloping them. The reflection of his armor seemed more intense, almost blinding up close. She flinched when his gloved hand raised up and reached towards her, her body instinctively curling up some in a defensive manner while pulling away from him. He paused for a moment. Tajana could feel his gaze from the pitch black visor of his helmet, burning into her with the same intensity of Calican's blaster. His movements resumed at a much slowed pace. He wasn't necessarily being gentle when he pulled her hand away to inspect her wound; his grasp was still firm as he were saying "don't fight me".

Tajana involuntarily winced when the hot air made contact with the delicate, mangled tissue. Mando reached behind him to rummage through one if his small bags he had scattered on his person. She recoiled away out of uncertainty of what he was about to do, but his grip tightened ever so slightly to keep her in place. He pulled out a small can of bacta spray, shaking it before applying a generous amount to the gaping wound. Mando pulled her forward some, much to her anguish that she tried desperately to hide from him, and did the same to the other side. The cool feeling of the germicidal mist was euphoric against the angry skin of her shoulder. Thank the Maker that the pain relieving properties of the disinfectant was already beginning to kick in.

It was still quiet when he scooped her up and placed her on the dewback. Neither uttered a single word when he climbed up to sit behind her, and no one said a thing when held her in place while simultaneously grasping onto the reigns of the beast carrying them back to Mos Eisley.

* * *

Nightfall was beginning to set in by the time the pair of hunters reached town. They approached the hanger where the Crest was stationed, taking in the chilling sight of Calican's empty speeder parked outside.

"This can't be good," Tajana commented. Mando dropped down off the side of the dewback then extended his hand out to Tajana to ease her down. She looked uneasily at his outstretched hand. "I'm fine," she said stubbornly while swinging her legs to the side of the creature. "The bacta kicked in a while ago."

"Good, then you can cover me if I need it," he said matter of factly. Reaching up to grab her forearm, he firmly pulled her down off the dewback. Mando released her once her feet hit the ground, leaving her to struggle to gain her balance. When he pulled out his blaster and turned to head inside Peli's hangar, he didn't catch the glare Tajana was giving the back of his helmet.

The two cautiously advanced inside the dock, listening for any sign of movement and looking for anything out of place. Before they reached the lowered ramp of the Crest, Mando reached his arm out in front of Tajana to block her from going any further.

"Took you long enough, Mando," a familiar, cocky voice echoed from the hull of the gunship. A surge of anger rose up into Tajana's chest at the thought of him setting foot on the Crest. It wasn't even her ship, but the level of disrespect the younger man was showing angered her to no end. When he emerged with a terrified Peli clutching The Child, both held at gunpoint, Tajana nearly saw red. "Looks like I'm calling the shots now, huh, partner?" He jeered. "Drop your blaster and raise 'em."

Mando did as he was told. Tajana remained still, her blaster pointed disdainfully at Calican. Toro cocked his head and smiled in her direction. "That means you too, sweetheart. How's the shoulder?"

"It appears you're a better aim than a better bounty hunter," Tajana snarled. She bent down slowly to set her blaster next to Mando's. "Even then, it was a lucky shot." Calican chuckled at her banter, then looked down at Peli.

"Cuff them," he ordered. Peli set The Child down on the ramp nervously. She grabbed the two binders that Calican held out for her. Making her way down to the ground level of the hangar, she shot an apologetic look to both Mando and Tajana.

"You're a Guild traitor, Mando," Calican chastised. "And as far as the girl goes, I don't know what I'll do with her quite yet." He glanced down at his feet to look over The Child with interest, then carefully took it in his arms to get a closer look. "I'm willing to bet that this here is the target you helped escape."

Peli raised one of the binders up to Mando's hands that were resting on the back of his helmet. Before she latched one of the cuffs to his wrist, she caught sight of a flash grenade securely held in the palm of Mando's hand.

"You're smarter than you look," she whispered closely to his ear.

Tajana remained still with her hands behind her head. She couldn't help the smile that sprang forth due to his quick thinking.

"Fennec was right," Calican continued out loud. "Bringing you in won't just make me a member of the Guild, it'll make me legendary." Toro raised his blaster in Mando's direction.

Before he could pull the trigger, Mando detonated the flash grenade. A blinding white light filled the room along with a violent bang. Mando shoved Tajana to the ground and grabbed his blaster. Calican fired a shot where Mando was standing, not noticing the Mandalorian had darted to the side. Mando took aim at the other hunter, shooting him in the side of his chest.

Calican dropped off the Crest's ramp, his body smacking the hangar floor with a loud thud. Tajana darted in his direction to find where The Child had landed as well. She peered behind the corner of a nearby crate, her golden eyes locking with the startled, black orbs of the infant.

Peli emerged from behind a wall of storage containers, eyes scouring the floor for the foundling. "Stay back," Mando warned her when she closed in on Calican.

"We gotta find it," she said worriedly. Mando turned over Calican's body, not finding The Child in his possession.

"It's here!" Tajana called out from behind the crate. She stood up from the floor, clutching The Child tightly in the crook of her arms.

"There you are!" Peli cooed while extending her arms out anxiously for the little creature. "Are you hiding from us? Look at you. It's alright. I know that was really loud for your big old ears, wasn't it?"

Tajana smiled from underneath her scarf at the caring older woman. Her eyes shifted from Peli, who was now rocking the foundling back and forth, to Mando, who picked up a rather full coin bag off of Toro.

Peli turned to face Mando, a serious and uneasy expression in her eyes. She gingerly passed his son back to him.

"Be careful with him," she said softly. Folding her arms behind her back, she rocked back and forth on her heels nervously as she looked the hunter over. "So I take it you didn't get paid..."

With his free hand, Mando poured out the contents of Calican's bag into Peli's hand. As the shining gold and silver credits filled her palms, some even dropping to the floor, her eyes and mouth widened in shock.

"That cover me?" Mando asked. Peli shook her head to snap herself back into focus.

"Y-yeah. This is gonna cover you." She broke her attention away from her payment, a slight frown crossing her lips while she looked curiously at Calican laying by the Crest.

"All right pit droids! Let's drag this outta here!" She called out. They all began frantically chattering at the same time.

"I don't know!" Peli yelled back to them. "Drag it to Beggar's Canyon!"

Tajana let another small smile grace her hidden features as she watched the cluster of droids team up to drag Calican out of the hangar.

Peli headed off in the opposite direction, mumbling happily to herself while looking over the shiny stack of credits in her hands. It seemed her newfound riches were masking the trauma of being held at gunpoint for the past few hours.

Mando began to lower the ramp of the rebuilt Razor Crest. Tajana didn't dare turn to watch him as he gathered The Child into one arm and left to make his leave. When she heard the pitch of his footsteps change when he stepped foot onto the metal ramp, she started to follow in the direction the droids went.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Tajana froze. The rumbling baritone of his voice stopped her hard in her tracks. He didn't sound angry or threatening. It was just a simple, emotionless question.

"Back to Mos Entha?" She immediately wanted to slap herself. It came out sounding more like a question rather than a confident statement. Her typical bold attitude was sucked out of her, replaced with humiliation and a bit of fear. She hadn't felt this way in so long. It made her disgusted with herself. Mando's silence looming over the two of them didn't help any. She knew if she turned around to face him, she would meet the stone cold gaze of a deadly hunter hidden behind a solid black visor. She understood Mandalorian's tended to hide their faces from the world. It was part of their culture and she respected that. She herself had her own reasons for hiding most of her face. Just as she wanted to remain unseen, she honored Mando's decision as well. But Maker, what she would give to see what emotions were etched upon his face at this moment.

"Are you refusing my offer?" Mando asked once more. His tone was a bit more forceful than the last time.

Tajana swallowed hard. She felt cornered but also relieved at the same time. It would take a simple "yes" to get out of this whole situation. She could leave and act like nothing had happened tonight. The Mandalorian, The Child, Fennec, and Calican would be a memory she would quickly push to the back of her mind and forget about. She could return to her small home in the crowded city of Mos Entha, maybe even go back to her shitty paying job as well. She would try to keep a low profile, try to stay out of trouble. As hard as she tried to come up with reasons to stay after all, the budding desire to leave this planet was the only thing she could focus on. Although Tattooine was her home, was too much history buried underneath the sand dunes.

"No," she said with a little more strength backing up her words. "But I have to go back to Mos Entha. All my things are there."

Mando had most definitely perfected the ability of standing still and looking intimidating. The mood lightened some from The Child in his arms making soft cooing noises now and then. The two of them together made for an interesting contrast. Who would've thought Mando had a nurturing side? Maybe that's why he was still willing to consider taking Tajana in even after the complete fuck up that happened today.

"Well let's get a move on then," he answered. "And you better pack light." Mando finally moved, continuing his voyage to the inside of the Crest. Tajana took one more look at the exterior before following right behind him. After she settled in she would finally be able to take a closer look at the interior and map out areas that needed to be fixed up.

She watched Mando retreat to the cockpit, delicately placing The Child in the passenger seat and putting his strap on tight. The ramp door ascended into its closed position. Once the audible fastening of the locks holding it into place were heard, Mando lifted off the ground and sped towards Mos Entha.

Tajana held onto the wall tightly to keep her balance. The aircraft, even after all the years it's been around and what turmoil Mando put it through, smoothly ascended into the pitch black twilight of Tattooine. The now fully functional engines propelled them through the crisp night sky while The Child cooed happily from the front of the ship.

Tajana walked around the first floor carefully, finishing the mental map of the Crest in her head she had started prior to their hunt for Fennec. Everything looked a little worn down or old, not that old was necessarily bad. "Old" didn't mean dysfunctional. It didn't automatically mean it needed to be replaced. "Old" was her word of choice she had used to describe the Razor Crest, a word that carried some sense of stability along with it. That's why she was here, working alongside a deadly bounty hunter and his infant son; she needed a new start.

* * *

"Why don't you and your foundling come with me?" Tajana asked Mando.

Silence.

"I'm sure you could use something to eat while I get everything together."

More silence.

"Look, I know you haven't had anything since I met you outside the cantina, at the very least."

Still silence.

"At least let the kid eat."

That brought the Mandalorian to his feet. He still didn't say anything when he unfastened The Child from the chair on his right side, nor did he utter a single word during the agonizingly awkward walk to where Tajana called "home".

It was a rather unremarkable little dome shaped structure. Mando had to almost crouch down to duck below the doorframe, something The Child found slightly amusing.

The inside was simple; a soot riddled fireplace in the quaint little living room, a small dining area next to an equally small kitchenette, and a few doors leading to other rooms in the house.

Tajana dusted her shoes off before rummaging through a closet near the front door. She pulled out some duffle bags and began talking over her shoulder at the Mandalorian standing awkwardly in the center of her living quarters.

"I know it's uh, it's not much but make yourself at home. The kid can wander around fine, there shouldn't be anything he can really get into."

Mando robotically set The Child down, eyeing him carefully while he trudged around the room in his potato sack outfit. The bounty hunter glanced up at Tajana and saw her retreat into the kitchenette. She started sorting through her cabinets, setting some of her food supplies either on the counter next to her or tossing it in one of the bags.

Mando thought about telling her she didn't need to give up all her food for them, but the uncomfortable stabbing feeling of hunger he had been suppressing told him to keep his mouth shut. They had next to no food on the ship and he knew it.

Tajana peeked around the corner to glare at the stoic man. "Sit down will you? You're making me nervous."

Mando complied willingly. He turned his attention back to the foundling who was running back and forth across the spacious living room, all while babbling a bunch of nonsense to no one in particular. All the time the kid spent being coddled by Peli or asleep on the ship resulted in lot of pent up energy he was now letting loose. At least he would probably knock out when they finally got back to the Crest.

Tajana zipped up the duffle bag and tossed it down next to the front door. "It's not much, but now you'll have more to feed the kid other than ration bars."

Mando's hand twitched. The inside of his helmet felt a bit warmer. If he didn't know better, he would say he was a little embarrassed. She probably noticed the lack of supplies due to the lack of funds in Mando's credits bag. He had given all of the credits stolen off Calican's body to Peli. Normally it wouldn't pain him to do so, but now this meant his first priority was finding another job as soon as they left Tattooine.

Tajana returned to the kitchen and the sound of pans clamoring around recaptured the Mandalorian's attention. He failed to notice the mischievous green creature that was waddling towards the direction of the food supplies bag. The sound of a knife on a cutting board masked the sound of a zipper being pulled back. The smell of meat being cooked on a stove top only further distracted the Mandalorian. He clutched at his stomach in an attempt to get the all too familiar gnawing cold feeling of hunger to dissipate.

A tug on his leg stole his attention back from the uncomfortable feeling and when he looked down, The Child gazed up at him innocently, a handful of dried fruit crammed into its mouth.

"Hey! Hey!" Mando corrected with a firm tone. "No! That's not yours. You have to _share_." He picked The Child up but before he could pull the remaining dehydrated fruit bits from its little green fingers, The Child extended his hand towards the Mandalorian's helmet.

"No, not share _right now_." He set the little foundling down next to the wide open duffle bag. With a point of his gloved finger, he brought the little one's attention to the source of the problem. "This is _ours_. You have to _share_ _it_ with all of _us_."

The Child babbled a bunch of nonsense in return. Mando sighed heavily, eyes still dead set on the little troublemaker. The Child looked off to the side behind Mando and raised its arms excitedly.

"You're awfully talkative all of a sudden," Tajana said playfully. She reached down to pick up the foundling and cradled him in one arm. "Both of you," she continued.

Mando's eyes protectively followed her every move out habit from someone new handling his kid. Tajana picked up on his shift in demeanor and smiled in a reassuring manner that was meant for him, almost forgetting he couldn't see it. The softness in her expression in turn transfixed itself into her eyes that peered into the black abyss of his visor; her typical fiery stare was now that of warm, melted honey.

His rigid form relaxed some when she handed him a steaming bowl of stew. Thank the Maker his stomach didn't growl right then and there.

"Thank you," he said, staring into the cream colored liquid. His eyes danced around the plump chunks of meat and diced vegetables that bathed themselves in the viscous broth. "But I can't-"

"I know." Tajana said simply. She eyed the windows to make sure all the curtains were obscuring the view from the outside, all while Mando begrudgingly tore his gaze from the meal he couldn't eat. Grabbing another bowl in her free hand, she set off towards one of the other rooms of the house.

"Knock when you're finished, please." She didn't give him a chance to argue. Shutting the door softly behind her and The Child, Mando heard the muted excited giggle emitted from the hungry little foundling. He looked upon his own serving and set it down on the dining table. He glanced back at the door the woman and child were situated behind, fighting with himself whether or not to indulge in something as simple as a bowl of stew.

_She does not trust easily, but you can place your trust in her._

With a faint hiss, the latches at the base of his helmet released. Mando pulled his helmet off shakily. He turned his head to the side, eyes fixated on the door of the other room. His helmet hit the table with an intentionally loud thump. The hunter hoped that the woman one room over heard it and knew what the noise was. The door still remained shut.

Mando cautiously raised a spoonful to his mouth, eyes still glued to the entryway. He ignored the slight stinging sensation of the hot liquid coating his tongue. The burn that traveled down his throat meant nothing in comparison to the joy of finally eating a decent meal. He shoveled in spoonful after spoonful. The pieces of meat were a forgotten luxury he hadn't experienced in years while the vegetables provided his worn out body with the nutrients it rarely received.

He gasped for air when he set the empty bowl down minutes later. He caught glimpse of a drinking glass on the opposite side of the table that was filled with fresh water. Mando didn't even notice it before or know if it was even meant for him. He gulped it down hastily, his fast pace no longer being because he was worried about having his face looked upon but rather desperation for food and water.

_Underneath all that shiny armor, he's still just a man._

Mando himself almost always forgot that. He knew everyone around him completely had. People only saw him as a handful of things: something to kill, someone to do their bidding for them, or something to be feared. He pushed himself to unimaginable limits every day, always depriving himself of basic needs and rest. It only made sense that when he had the extremely rare opportunity to sit and enjoy something as stupidly simple as a cup of soup or a glass of water, that he would bask in that blissful moment for as long as possible. In those several, bittersweet short minutes, he had never felt more human.

Mando sighed. In this certain circumstance, it was a mannerism that stemmed from content rather than aggravation. Now satisfied, he reached over to grab his heavy beskar helmet and placed it over his head once more. When the locks on the sides snapped back into place, he rose from the table and landed three sturdy knocks against the door.

There was a bit of movement stirring on the other end. Tajana poked her head out through the opening, a her hand placed over her eyes as a precaution.

"You can look," was all that Mando let out. He was back in his full suit of armor, once again just a Mandalorian that had yet another job to do.

Mando took a few steps to let Tajana work her way past him, her arm still holding The Child tight. It cooed both happily and sleepily, its large brown eyes half closed from the food coma that was beginning to set in.

She passed Thee Child to Mando and set down one more duffle bag on the floor next to the one that contained their food.

"Thank you again," Mando called out to her. She was busy bustling around the kitchen, cleaning off the cooking ware she used for the meal, along with the two bowls that they ate from.

Wait. Two bowls.

"Hold on a second," he started. "You didn't get any-"

"Hey, Mando," Tajana interrupted. She shook her hands free from the soapy water, not looking at him but rather the baggage on the floor. "Do you mind grabbing one of those for me? I still have one more thing I have to get before we go."

Though he heard her request, he tried in vain to vocalize his previous concern. "But you didn't-"

"You were in a rush to leave Tattooine, yes?" She asked. Mando didn't fail to pick up on the not so subtle sharpness of her question. Her eyes met his for a few seconds, the previous warm glow of her golden orbs intensifying into the unmistakable smoldering glare he had seen several times already. When she moved around him to grab a blaster rifle from the closet, Mando shut his mouth immediately. He reached down to pick up the heaviest of the luggage, then placed the sleeping child into a brown cloth bag at his side. With her weaponry strapped against her back and the remaining duffle bag in her hand, the trio set off towards the direction of the Razor Crest in silence. The only noises they heard were the late night conversations of passer-byers that ceased once they caught sight of the Mandalorian, and The Child's soft snores that accompanied them the rest of the way.

* * *

By the time they arrived at the Crest and Mando had mapped the navigation for their next destination, the suns of Tattooine were just about to make their appearance. He sat in the pilot's seat for another moment, taking in the warm glow of the two suns rising together. The Child was fast asleep in the sealed off area where Mando's mattress lay. Nearby, Tajana was trying her hardest to not make too much noise as she added her rifle to the Mandalorian's hidden firearms collection. She shut the compartment door with an unpreventable clang, thanking the Maker that the infant was a relatively heavy sleeper. Her footsteps were fairly quiet, almost unnoticeable until they grew louder the closer she got to the entrance of the cockpit. The door was already pushed slightly ajar, signaling to her that Mando deemed it safe to come in. When her strides fell completely still, Mando turned his head ever so slightly in her direction.

"Need something?" His deep voice was monotonous as usual.

"Just a few questions about this whole living situation thing," Tajana began.

Mando looked forward and continued. "Such as?"

Tajana suppressed the desire to roll her eyes at the clueless man. Maybe he was feigning ignorance in an attempt to get under her skin the same way she does him. Maker, did she really have to spell it out for him?

"Such as, where do I sleep or where does my stuff go? What exactly do you want me to take care of other than the baby and the ship? Are there any rules? Anything I should never ever do?" She counted out each question on a finger in a demonstrative fashion, even though she knew Mando wasn't watching her.

"The safety of The Child is our main priority," Mando began. "You will watch and care for him when I'm not around. I'll be going on hunts off and on to cover the funds for your employment and other things. I'll let you know before I leave. Some hunts may require me being away for a few days or more," he paused for a second. "Some...I might need your help on."

Tajana stared hard at the back of his helmet. Was he just blatantly fucking with her at this point? Her mouth replied faster than her mind could fully come to terms with what he just admitted. "You want to repeat that?"

"You heard me just fine," Mando said stiffly.

Tajana was completely blindsided. "Even after what happened with Calican?"

Mando was quiet. The longer he put off answering her, the more she wanted to throttle the back of his chair. It was soon becoming evident to her that this was his most annoying mannerism.

"I'm certain you're aware of my wanted status with the Guild." His voice lowered to a more hushed volume. The shift in his attitude was unnerving to say the least. "You know why Calican turned on us. I know you do. You were there when Fennec told him about the high price of my head."

Tajana couldn't help but interrupt him. "Where are you going with this?"

"I don't know how he got the jump on you," Mando answered quickly. "What I do know is that even after learning exactly the same bit of information he did, you passed up every chance to come after me and the kid. His betrayal was unavoidable."

It was her turn to keep him waiting for a response. "What makes you think I still won't turn on you?"

The question was an uncomfortable one but nonetheless, it was a very real concern. Throughout their entire conversation thus far, Mando sat still as could be in his worn leather seat. The flashing shades of blue and white hyperspace swirled around on the flawless beskar metal that adorned him. The mesmerizing fluidity of space was a stark contrast to the constricting tension brewing inside of the ship. Instead of answering his new pilot's question, Mando once again deflected the topic of conversation.

"If you climb down the ladder, there's a bit of barren space off to the side across from the ramp opening. We can find a way to make it more comfortable so you can sleep there, or you can use the cot The Child is sleeping on currently, whichever you please. Next to the carbon freezing chamber, there's room for you to store your belongings." Mando gave her no time to respond, not that she even knew what to say anymore. Their whole discussion was riddled with twists and turns, so Tajana did her best to just listen instead of add to it. "I'm sure you've seen the refresher. It's yours to use as you see fit. Now, as far as rules go: Don't pilot the ship unless I tell you to, or unless I'm not around and there's an emergency. I'll do my best to keep in contact with you the days I'm not here. Of course you know I take my meals alone. I don't remove my helmet in front of anyone, and don't ever ask me to. I'm sure you understand the desire to remain unseen."

Tajana's flinched. _Desire?_ There was no _desire_ for her to live this way. Sure the difference between their circumstances was that his was cultural and her's was...well, it wasn't his business actually, that's what. A surge of anger blossomed deep in her chest. She didn't even know who she was angry at exactly. Mando brought it up, so she supposed that his baseless assumption of her was the cause.

He thought she would've given him some sort of agreeable witty remark one he was finished. Out of curiosity, he tilted his head to peer back over the back of his chair. There was no mistaking the solar flare of emotions raging through what little expression of hers he was able to see. "Good to know," she said a little too calmly for his liking. "Thank you, Mando."

Tajana slipped through the door and slid it halfway shut before he managed to say another word. Rummaging through her personal belongings, she pulled out a few clean pieces of clothing and descended down to where the refresher was. It wasn't spacious, not in the slightest. Not that she was intentionally trying to imagine Mando in here, but the thought of the much larger man crammed into the tiny space and removing all of his armor for a shower was rather amusing.

She turned on the water to let it warm up and began removing the dust covered layers of clothing off one by one. Although the bacta had helped immensely, peeling her blood crusted shirt away from the still tender wound site was far from comfortable. The side of her arm from where Mando had unintentionally rammed into her back in Mos Eisley, was painted a dark purplish blue color.

Tajana wasn't the most sturdy or physically strong person in the galaxy by any means. What she lacked in brute strength she made up for with her sharp mind, stamina, and dexterity. Her small stature made her an unassuming and perceivably "easy" target, something she frequently used to her advantage. Her enemies had a tendency to rush her half cocked, a mindset that always proved to be a deadly mistake.

Once a thin curtain of steam was rising from the shower stream, Tajana let her thick, raven tresses fall down past her waist. Her hair was dry and rough from the unrelenting desert sun. A layer of sand was caked on within some of her strands. Water wasn't the easiest thing to come by on bone dry planets such as Tattooine. She did her best to keep up with her hygiene, but finally being able to be in a full on shower such as this, was a gift from the Maker itself.

Beads of warm water rolled off her golden caramel skin, taking with it the stress and grime from the past two days. Not knowing how much warm water could be used in one sitting, Tajana did her best to make it a thorough yet not overly drawn-out shower. She was sure Mando would want to take one as well after being under the blistering suns all day.

Her stomach twisted into a tiny knot when she thought about the way she cut him off earlier. He had done more than hire her as a babysitting pilot; he opened up his whole home to her. A bit of guilt began to set in when she dressed herself with new undergarments, a charcoal grey tunic, and loose black pants. She grabbed a clean black scarf, securely wrapping it around her neck to just below her eyes. Tajana knocked before she exited the washroom, keeping in mind the highly unlikely but still possible chance that Mando might be lurking about the ship helmet-less. After waiting a few more seconds, she slid out of the bathroom and climbed up the ladder to put her used clothes near where her other belongings were.

On her way back down to the lower level, she noticed the sliding door leading to the cockpit was securely shut, not cracked open like she had left it. She decided it best to give the Mandalorian his space for a while. It was something he wouldn't be getting much more of after today. It would take both of them a while to get used to living with another person. Sure Mando was living with the kid now but still, that's different from sharing living space with another adult human being. In the mean time, she was going to look around for something to use as a makeshift bed.

Her search came to a dead stop when she noticed the compartment that housed the sleeping child was wide open. Tajana rushed over to see if the foundling was missing from where Mando had laid him down when they boarded the Crest. Something was situated on the cot, and it wasn't the kid.

A bit of warmth pooled into her cheeks when she realized what it was. Resting on top of a poorly folded and tattered sheet, sat a small bowl of dehydrated fruit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I absolutely ~hate~ myself because while I was skimming through the next chapter I'm writing for this, I managed to delete 10-15 pages in my notes app and couldn't get it back. So yeah! I gotta go work on that now...
> 
> Thanks for the kind words and the kudos. I'm still surprised I managed to bring myself to post all this. It means a lot :)


	4. The Prisoner

Tajana's sleeping schedule was completely fucked. She figured this would be a normal occurrence now that she was having to adapt to Mando's lifestyle. The run down mattress wasn't the most comfortable thing to sleep on, but Tajana couldn't complain too much. She felt a little guilty stealing the Mandalorian's spot he used to rest on the rare occasion he was actually able to.

Tajana gathered some caf beans and a small, handheld coffee grinder she took from home. It took her a while to find two cups for both her and Mando. She poured the freshly brewed beverage into each one, making a mental note that organization was going to be near the top of her list of tasks to do.

Tajana tediously climbed up the ship's ladder with a steaming cup in one hand. She reached the top and saw that the sliding door of leading to the cockpit was now pushed back a small amount. Closing her eyes as a precaution, she knocked a few times to make her presence known.

"Mando?" No response. She gave him a few seconds to answer back, but to no avail. "Mando, I'm coming in."

Still no answer. Tajana pushed back the door the remainder of the way, eyes still firmly shut. There was no modulated voice that told her to go away, so she slowly opened her eyes once it seemed safe.

Mando was still in his seat, his chest rising and falling in a slow rhythmic fashion. His helmet was tilted downwards and off to the side, resting slightly on one of his broad shoulders. The sight of the resting Mandalorian confirmed her suspicions that he was still sleeping peacefully, and she quietly reached over him to place his morning beverage off to the side above the control panel. The clattering noise the cup made when it made contact with the metal surface was enough to rip Mando out of his sleeping state. He reached up and grabbed the arm that was hovering above him. Tajana winced at his vice like grip and tried to pull free from his grasp. The dazed bounty hunter's intense fight or flight reflex tapered off when he realized who it was that crept up on him.

"Dank farrik," he swore. "Don't do that!" He meant for it to come out as a stern warning; he hoarseness from his slumber seeped through the modulator instead, making his voice husky and deeper than normal.

"Sorry Mando," Tajana said meekly. She cowered in his presence, making herself seem even smaller than she already was in comparison to him. Her fearful eyes darted to the still steaming cup of caf peacefully resting next to his seat. Thank the Maker it hadn't spilled onto all the controls. Mando would have surely murdered her then.

He followed her gaze to the right of his chair, the warm welcoming scent of toasted caf beans finally penetrating through his thick, steel helmet. He looked back at the girl who was now picking up the stirring child from the copilot's chair.

"I'll go feed him," she said monotonously. "Let me know what plan for today is once you're ready." The shock in her eyes from him lashing out at her had dissolved, replaced with a hollow, emotionless stare. As she made it out into the hallway with The Child in tow, she called out to Mando one last time. "Thanks for the blanket and food you left out earlier."

The sliding door sealed itself with a metallic click of the locking mechanism. Mando sat back in his chair, stretching out his tense muscles. He knew he would have to apologize to the girl later on, something he wasn't particularly good at. Actually, there were quite a few social interactions he struggled with. Living alone for so long made socializing a hardship for Mando. He knew the basics of communication sure, but things like striking up and holding a casual conversation, willingly interacting with people, or apologizing, were rather foreign concepts to him. Most of what he said to others was either a demand, a threat, or a wise-ass comment. He had good manners, always saying please and thank you when the situation called for it. That was probably the extent of how kind he could be with his words.

Mando checked the navigation status. It wouldn't be much longer until they reached Corellia. He would have to do the annoying task of bouncing around from cantina to cantina looking for work. As sketchy of a planet as Corellia was, it shouldn't take much time to find someone who was willing to pay for a hunter to do the dirty work for them.

Mando let out a long, worn out sight. Removing his helmet, he set it down gently next to his feet. He pushed himself off of his chair and reached forward to grab the caf Tajana left out for him. The faint wisps of steam tickled against his nose in a tantalizing manner, beckoning him to indulge himself in yet another pleasure he hadn't had in a while. He couldn't help but breathe in the comforting scent, another wave of content similar to one from last night, washing over him.

When the hunter exited the cockpit, he caught a glimpse of Tajana seated on a storage crate next to the cryo chamber. Her back was facing the Mandalorian with The Child sitting at her feet, happily munching on torn up pieces of a bread roll.

Mando hadn't realized exactly how long her hair was; though they met not long ago, her wavy black hair had always been tied up in a messy bun or high ponytail. It traveled down the curve of her back, spilling out across the top of the crate some. He approached the two and was going to offer to finish feeding The Child and also thank her for the unexpected delicacy this morning, but froze in place when she realized she was drinking from a cup of her own. It was then Mando noticed that her scarf was unraveled and draped over her shoulders. He retreated backwards several steps and tore his eyes away from her out respect. She was either ignoring his presence or wasn't aware that he was several feet behind her. He didn't want to risk further angering or frightening The Child's new caretaker. He tapped his knuckles against the steel inner walls of the Crest, the knocking sound echoing through the upper level and capturing Tajana's attention. She hurriedly set her cup down and fastened her scarf into its usual position. Mando was confused as to why she clearly didn't mind The Child seeing her exposed facial features. Why was he any different?

Tajana peeked over her shoulder and past her curtain of hair, eyeing Mando cautiously.

"Thank you for the caf, and for looking after the kid," he began. His palms started to get moist underneath his leather gloves out of nervousness. He stood awkwardly besides the babysitter and child, trying much harder than he should to find the right words. "I'm sorry for this morning. It's just...I guess I'm not used to another person being on the ship yet."

It was Tajana's turn to be the silent one.

"Are you hurt?" He finished.

She stared back down at the kid who was beginning to pout for more food. "No. I'm fine, and you're welcome, Mando." Reaching into the food bag, she pulled out some small chunks of fresh fruit. The Child squealed excitedly when she placed a piece into his tiny outstretched hand.

"We'll be landing shortly," Mando explained. "I have some business to attend to on Corellia."

"Looking for a bounty?" She asked curiously.

"Something like that." He turned his attention to The Child. "I want you to stay here with the kid and watch after the ship. Hopefully I won't be gone long. I have a communicator I'll give you that links to mine. Use it only if there's an emergency."

He descended down the ladder. When Tajana heard the refresher doors open and close, she removed her scarf to finish her drink. She didn't mind that she was requested to stay on the Crest and sit this mission out. Her body wasn't in tip top shape what with her accidental injuries from Mando and the almost healed over blaster wound from Calican. The last thing she wanted to do was get in Mando's way again. Her mind flashed back to him lashing out at her in the cockpit, the recollection making her shiver. That was only a small demonstration of his strength. She hadn't quite seen him in a full on fight with anyone, nor was she really looking forward to it.

Once The Child was satisfied with how much food he had eaten, Tajana rocked him until his big eyes began fluttering closed. He was fighting sleep, but if she wanted to get any work done around the ship today, she had to make sure he would be out for at least a few hours. Mando's footsteps up the ladder thankfully went unnoticed by the small foundling, and his eyes finally shut the remainder of the way. Mando approached the pair quietly, extending his hand out to place a comm link next to her.

"Try to keep this on you at all times, in case anything were to happen," Mando said softly. "I'll be back as soon as I can." His voice changed to a threatening, even lower baritone. _"Nobody_ gets on this ship except _me,_ understood?" Tajana suppressed another tremble. Fearing her words would fail her, she looked up at Mando and nodded. He went back down the ladder, leaving her alone with the sleeping infant. He waited for the hatch to open, then stepped out into the open space of the hangar. He looked back once more at his ship, hesitating a moment before activating the ramp's closure with a button on his left arm bracer. Mando watched and waited to make sure the ramp was securely locked in place before heading out to find yet another job to do.

Tajana spent the next few hours evaluating the basic functions of the ship. Immediately, she noticed the hyper-drive function capabilities weren't exactly at one hundred percent. With how long the ship has been in service and how hard Mando appeared to be on the poor vessel, that didn't really surprise her that much. Still, it was important to have the hyper-drive running as efficiently as possible for when it needed to be put to use, especially in case of an emergency. She also made note of some of the more easily fixable but less important repairs such as fixing how smoothly some of the automatic doors slid open, adjusting some of the light fixtures, and rewiring some devices on the ship. One thing that struck her as odd, was that Mando had completely disabled the astromech droid. Without one, it was no surprise he needed so much help with the ship. She looked at the mangled heap of metal where the droid's control panel should have been. "Stars," she marveled to herself. "Note to self, don't piss off Mando while flying."

"I don't think I hate you as much as I do droids."

Tajana shot up from her crouched position. She spun around to come face to face with a broad wall of shining beskar.

"Fucking hell!" She choked out. "When did you get back?"

Mando curiously peered down at the flustered woman. "Just a minute ago. What are you doing, and where's the kid?"

"He's sleeping, as always. And I'm trying to see what all needs to be done to your ship. You're making my job a bit harder by not having an astromech droid set up, you know."

"They're not necessary," Mando said flatly. "I did everything fine on my own."

"Is that why you needed to travel all the way to Mos Entha to ask me for help?" Tajana mocked.

"You seem to forget I can take you back there whenever I want," Mando growled.

Tajana shrugged. "Yet you still haven't."

Mando clenched his jaw in annoyance and ignored her banter. "I'm setting a course for Batuu," he said tensely. "There's a bail jumper I have to collect in Black Spire Outpost, then bring back here." He turned his back towards the girl and headed towards the cockpit, leaving her to finish her evaluations of the ship.

* * *

The foundling had already began to get attached to Tajana. Mando noticed it was harder for the kid to sleep unless Tajana was there to comfort him before he started to doze off. Being confined to the ship for a full day made The Child restless and fussy. No matter how many fruit pieces Tajana tried to coax him with, the kid was still whiney until he finally got tired again. As much as she hated to admit it, the lack of sleep was affecting the raven haired girl as well. Her eyes began to droop shut while she rocked The Child to sleep. Mando came and took him from her arms, telling her to try to squeeze in some rest before they landed. She was far too exhausted to argue with the Mandalorian for once. She sealed herself away in Mando's sleeping quarters while the bounty hunter sat in the cockpit, holding his son the rest of the way to Batuu.

It was well past nightfall when the Razor Crest down in the forest outskirts of Peka, which was just little over an hour outside of Black Spire. The Mando did his best to hide the ship amongst the trees to give Tajana and The Child cover from peering eyes. Peka was a relatively safe but somewhat bustling town, and Mando felt it was easier to lie low there rather than dock the ship in a larger city.

Mando rose from his seat, still holding tight onto the dozing infant. He made his way down the ladder carefully, then placed a few gentle knocks on the closed door that Tajana lay sleeping behind.

"Tajana," he whispered through the modulator, "I'm leaving." He waited a few more seconds and when she still didn't reply, he pulled the door back ever so slightly.

She lay peacefully underneath the sheet he had left out for her to use her first night on the ship. Through the faint glow of the Crest's lower level lights, Mando could see her eyes were still shut in a deep sleep. Mando reached out slowly, gently brushing her shoulder through her thick curtain of hair in an attempt to wake her.

"I'm leaving the kid with you. I'll be back as soon as I can," he said in hopes that she heard him.

She hummed quietly in response, faintly stirring and stretching in her sleep. When she became still again, the Mandalorian set The Child underneath her chin.

When he stepped back to shut the door, Mando froze. The sliver of light seeping through the doorway, exposed a small portion of her cheek and nose to the bounty hunter. Mando's breath hitched and he directed his eyes from her face to that of The Child's. As best as he could without looking, he reached up to pull the black scarf up to her cheekbone. She stirred once more when his leather fingertip brushed against her golden brown skin, causing Mando to back away and slide the door closed as quickly as he could.

* * *

Two days had passed since Mando left. Tajana spent most of the time working on the hyper-drive. She had improved its performance ever so slightly. There were parts that had to be replaced that she wasn't sure were even made anymore. Although she was sure Mando would be happy if the Crest ran at all, she still wanted to try to bring the ship to its full potential. Some of these repairs, however, seemed a bit above her pay grade.

Once she had gotten frustrated with the lack of progress maintenance wise, Tajana settled on getting a bit of fresh air with The Child. Armed with her blaster and daggers, they set off to explore just outside of the ship. Mando had been kind enough to land close to a small stream that lead to the river Peka was built around.

Tajana sat on the edge of the water, watching as The Child splashed around in a more shallow portion of the stream. He giggled and tried to grab at some of the smaller fish that hurriedly swam by. A small fire was going behind them with a few slabs of meat roasting slowly above the flames. Tajana had used her grappling hooks to create a makeshift close line to hang the freshly cleaned laundry from. All in all, it seemed like such a normal, serene moment. No one would've guessed that they were essentially fugitives on the run trying to make ends meet. She didn't even understand why Mando and the kid were wanted by so many people to begin with.

The Child quickly grew frustrated that he couldn't grab any little fish to eat. He pulled himself from the water with disappointed eyes and a tiny frown on his wrinkly lips. Tajana stooped up the foundling and brought him by the fire to warm him up and dry him off. Once the two of them ate and the fire was put out, Tajana brought the worn out child back to the ship to rest. She swaddled him in Mando's sheet before laying him down on the cot.

Tajana ventured back outside to collect the clean clothes from the cable of her grappling hook. Making her way back to the ship, she paused at the faint sound of twigs snapping not far behind her. She listened for one more second and when the sound had repeated itself, but closer this time, she spun around to fire her blaster in direction of the steps she heard.

Mando grunted and stumbled backwards when the round collided with his chest plate and ricocheted off, striking one of the giant nearby trees in the process.

"Nice...shot," Mando managed to get out.

"Stars Mando, I'm sorry!" Tajana apologized. "You caught me off guard is all."

"What are you doing..outside the ship?" He asked.

"Am I not allowed?" Tajana questioned nervously.

Mando looked down at the ground, his head tilting to the side. He stooped down to grab a black tunic that he recognized as his own.

"As long as you and The Child stay safe and don't wander far. I know you'll be able to defend the kid if it comes to it."

Tajana stared hard at the Mandalorian. She was expecting some smart-ass response or to get chewed out about how dangerous it was.

"It's a relief to know I can leave him alone in your care for at least two days," Mando began as the two walked towards the Crest, "but the bounty isn't here."

"I wasn't able to tell by how you came back empty-handed," Tajana muttered.

Mando chose to ignore her. "He fled to Galma. It's not far from here, but I'll be leaving again right when we land."

They parted ways once they both made it into the Crest. Mando raised the ramp and climbed up to the cockpit to put in the coordinates for Galma. He paused when he heard a knock on the doorframe outside of the cockpit, his head turning to the side about to ask Tajana what she needed.

She walked up to him wordlessly, passing him a plate with one of the pieces of meat she had previously cooked over the fire.

* * *

"Maker, look at this mess," Tajana grumbled. She finally managed to rip off one of the control panels back to glimpse at some of the faulty repairs Mando had done to the Crest himself. "For a man that's fond of his ship, you figured be would take better care of it, huh kid?"

Tajana glanced down at her feet where The Child sat. His glossy, black eyes happily stared back into hers while he chewed on the last few remaining pieces of bread Tajana managed to bring from her home in Mos Entha. The foundling was seemingly always hungry, something that was beginning to worry his caretaker due to them depleting their food supply faster than she anticipated. There was enough to last maybe another two or three days at the most if they rationed their supplies out carefully enough.

Tajana began peeling apart the frayed wires that were haphazardly twisted together. She sorted through them, matched them back together in a more orderly fashion, then began soldering each end to properly piece them together. "Mechanic" was part of her job description, therefore she would scour each part of the ship to make sure everything was in tip top shape. That, and Tajana was going on her third day alone since they left Peka. The more time she spend cooped up inside the ship, the Crest felt as if it were getting more and more confining each day. The stir craziness was beginning to set in, so she felt it best to try to keep her mind busy as best as she could, even if it meant keeping herself distracted with the most tedious of tasks.

The gunship had been already cleaned from top to bottom. The control panel in the cockpit was gleaming more than the stars in the galaxy themselves. Tajana couldn't help but notice the Mandalorian's lack of personal items. Tajana knew from right off the bat that Mando was a simple man; The Child, the Crest, and his code of ethics was all that he cared about. Tajana couldn't help but have pity for the Mandalorian who worked so hard to make sure everyone else was well off, and neglected his own care just as much.

The sound from the ramp descending to the ground level caught both her and The Child's attention. Tajana pulled her scarf up from around her shoulders, tightening it around her neck and face per usual. The kid squealed with delight between the mouthfuls of cooked meat, raising his arms happily when he realized Mando had returned. Tajana smiled down at the ecstatic little foundling, then picked him up to carefully pry him away from the top of the ladder. The two of them stood still on the upper level of the ship, listening to the shuffling of footsteps below while Mando dragged the resisting bounty further into the ship. Tajana watched from the top of the ladder while Mando and the quarry tussled back and forth for control. Once the target was in the firm, vice like grip of the hunter, Tajana froze when the quarry finally noticed they weren't alone and stared up at her with pleading eyes.

"Don't let him do this to me!" The captive Zabrak begged. "I-I have a family! N-No, _PLEASE_ _!"_

Mando wordlessly dragged his prey up towards the cryogenic chamber. Tajana clutched The Child closer and walked backwards towards the cockpit, keeping out of the way of the Mandalorian. The Zabrak lurched towards Tajana with his arms outstretched. "Please, please don't let him take me!"

She recoiled and tightened her grip on the infant when the quarry threw himself closer to her. Mando's calm demeanor went out the window. He slammed both hands down on the Zabrak's shoulders, throwing him towards the cryo chamber. Mando turned and slammed the door to the cockpit shut, leaving Tajana sealed in the room while she listened in on the quarry's pleas for freedom. The sound of the high pressured freezing gas being released resonated down the hall and once the hissing had stopped, it was eerily quiet. The entrance to the cockpit slowly pulled back, and a breathless bounty hunter wearily propped himself up against the wall. He stared at the horror stricken girl that held tightly onto The Child.

"Hey," Mando called out softly. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"N-no. We're both fine," she replied shakily. Stars her voice sounded weak. It didn't go unnoticed by the observant bounty hunter. He stood up straight and cocked his head to the side, looking questionably at the younger woman. Tajana blinked and cleared her throat. "He...missed you," she said sternly, gesturing to The Child and successfully changing the subject. Mando averted his gaze from her worried eyes to those of his founding.

"I'm sorry it took a while," he apologized.

Tajana nodded in response. They stood awkwardly in each other's company for a moment. Mando looked back at the uneasy woman, noticing how she looked off to the side rather than in his direction. Her typical confident attitude was gone at the moment, replaced with an air of nervousness. He didn't want her to fear him. If they would be living together, the last thing he wanted to do was have her tiptoeing around him when they were near each other.

He looked at her a bit longer, taking in her tanned skin that was smudged with bits of soot here and there. She wore her baggy maintenance uniform bottoms and a dirtied white tank top, her hair in it's usual messy bun and her aviator goggles resting on her head as well. Mando couldn't help but notice some occasional scarring that left comet tail streaks painted along her shoulders and arms. He didn't realize how long he must of been staring until he noticed Tajana squirm uneasily under his gaze.

"You look like you've been busy," Mando tried to bring up casually.

"I was trying to undo whatever handiwork you did to your ship," she teased while nodding in the direction of the newly reconstructed control box.

"That's part of the reason why I hired you," Mando retorted sharply. "You seem like you could use a break. I'll take over watching the kid."

"Speak for yourself, Mando," she snapped. "Rest, why don't you? Isn't that also part of the reason why you hired me?"

Mando remained speechless. Dank farrik she was such a pain in his beskar sometimes. Her tone was harsh but her words and the reasoning behind them was the complete opposite. It was something Mando wasn't used to.

"I figure he should be going to sleep soon. I just fed him. I'll set a course for Corellia, Mando, just please, go sleep or something. Maker knows you need it more than I do."

He felt no reason to argue with her. "Fine. If you need anything, don't hesitate to come get me."

Tajana didn't reply. She was already busy placing The Child in the copilot's seat and strapping him in tightly. Just when Mando started to make his exit, he stopped in his tracks to watch Tajana slide herself into _his_ chair. She began typing in the navigation route to Corellia with ease. It was an unfamiliar and somewhat uncomfortable sight for Mando to see someone else taking over his ship, but once his body started aching and reminding him of just how fatigued he was, he brushed away any negative feelings before making his way to his cot.

* * *

A few aggressive bangs on the sliding door to his cramped sleeping quarters woke the Mandalorian up several hours later.

"Mando, we're about to land soon," Tajana called out from the other side. Mando pulled back the sliding metal pane to come face to face with the tired eyed woman. There were more grease marks and soot on her arms and face than before from her further working on the ship while everyone else slept. The fire that was always burning in her eyes was but a faint flame, smothered by unrest and exhaustion. Her tanned skin looked a bit paler than before. Overall, the look was a bit unnerving for the bounty hunter.

"You seem unwell," he stated bluntly.

Tajana snorted. "I'm just tired, is all. I can't sleep though so don't waste your breath telling me to."  
  
The truth is, she had actually tried to sleep. Soon after Mando retired in his sleeping quarters, The Child did the same. Once the foundling had knocked out, Tajana leaned back in the pilot's chair. She had a few hours to kill before they reached Corellia but whenever she closed her eyes, all she could hear was the cries for help that came from the newly obtained quarry held in a frozen, carbon prison just a few feet away.

_"Please, please don't let him take me!"_

Her eyes snapped open; her body jerked forward into the Crest's control panel. She let out a loud gasp followed by several shallow pants. A bit of sweat started collecting on her brow, and her hands had begun to shake when she heard the same plea the Zabrak uttered, but it was her voice she heard screaming the words, not his.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me a bit longer than I would've liked to post a new chapter. After having to basically redo the whole thing, I was torn between 2 ideas I had already started writing. SO I COMPROMISED...and wrote something completely different. It's a bit short, but thank you so so so much for all the support :)


	5. The Discovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's...getting a lil fluffy.

Mando took Tajana's place in the pilot's seat while she washed herself free from the grease that built up on her skin as an aftermath of her working on the ship. She scrubbed hard at her golden caramel skin, even after all the dirt markings had washed off. Her mind was still at unease from the actions of Mando's last bounty. Try as she may, the prisoner's desperate pleas kept repeating themselves over and over in her head. Tajana cranked the hot water up even more, hoping the influx of steam would purify her mind from the recollection of past memories as well as soothe the unnerving sensation crawling across her skin. Meanwhile, in the cockpit above her, the autopilot function of the Razor Crest had taken over, allowing the gunship to lower itself into an empty landing bay on Corellia.

The Mandalorian gave his ammunition stock a once-over, then grabbed his Ambian rifle and latched it securely on his back. He knocked on the refresher door. "We're here," he called out to the younger woman inside. "Corellia is rougher than I remember. I don't trust this place enough to leave you and the kid alone on the ship this time." He grabbed Tajana's own sniper rifle from out of the weapons cabinet and passed it to her when she walked out into the cabin. "We won't be gone long. We just gotta deliver the quarry and grab some supplies in town."

"What about the kid?" Tajana asked. Mando pulled back the side of his cape to reveal a set of big, black eyes that stared at both of its caretakers.

"Already got it covered," Mando answered, gesturing to The Child who resided soundly against his father's hip in a brown crossbody bag.

Tajana didn't take Mando for the nurturing nanny type. She suppressed an amused snort at the interesting contrast the father and son made. It was...unexpectedly cute.

The ramp beginning its descent pulled Tajana back from her wandering thoughts. "Stay close to me," Mando's deep baritone instructed sharply, as the ramp moved downwards to touch the grounds of Corellia.

* * *

The pair delivered the bounty with ease. It wasn't the most profitable job Mando had taken but money was money. Unfortunately, they money the Mandalorian made, needed to immediately be spent on replenishing their dwindling supplies.

"200 credits for _one_ can of bacta?" Tajana asked incredulously. Her eyes glanced over the variety of shop advertisements and price listings that were posted by some of the vendors along the street. "Stars, this place is such a ripoff."

"I'm afraid we won't have much luck looking for whatever it is you think we need," Mando sighed.

"We're almost out of everything, Mando," Tajana snapped. "The kid has an appetite of a Dianoga. You wasted almost all of your bacta on me after the whole Calican incid-"

"Wasted?" Mando looked her way. "Would you rather of me left you there with Fennec to rot?"

"I shouldn't of let Toro out of my sight to begin with," Tajana groaned.

"I told you, it was unpreventable," Mando explained. "Let it go already."

Tajana was about to argue but a few sharp tugs on her jacket from behind caught her attention. A Jawa looked up at her excitedly, pointing repeatedly in Mando's direction. **"Mob un loo? Mob un loo?! Etee uwanna waa!"**

Mando growled in annoyance at the small creature that gestured desperately towards the Mandalorian's beskar. Mando immediately went for his blaster but with a raised hand and a threatening glare in his direction, Tajana managed to stop him.

 **"Nyeta. Yanna kuzu peekay,"** she apologized to the Jawa. It huffed and went back to join the rest of its clan who were watching with hopefully eyes.

"You speak _Jawaese_?" Mando asked with a bit of disdain slightly evident in his voice.

Tajana snorted in amusement. "Why do you seem upset about that? Not really a fan of Jawas?"

"They destroyed my ship," he answered bitterly.

"You mean the one that's flying perfectly fine now?"

"That's not the poin-" Mando was cut short when a round from a blaster ricocheted off one of his pauldrons. Screaming erupted all over the marketplace; people began to stampede wildly down the street in an attempt to take cover from who or whatever opened fire on the Mandalorian. Tajana whipped her head to the direction the blast came from and locked eyes with four men who had their blasters aimed right at the pair.

"Go, move!" Mando yelled to his pilot. He fired his blaster towards the men, narrowly missing one of them when a civilian crashed into the bounty hunter, throwing his aim off slightly.

Tajana fired her grappling hook into one of the rooftops of a nearby store. She launched herself upwards, scaling the wall with ease. A few enemy blaster rounds whizzed past her while she flattened herself on the rooftop to take cover. Disconnecting her sniper rifle's strap around her chest, she then flipped over to take aim at the enemy hunters.

She caught a glimpse of one of the hunters being brought down when Mando fired upon them once more. Steadying her breathing, Tajana honed in on one of the offending Guild members. Her finger on the trigger, she pulled back, watching the man take the full force of her shot and crumple to the ground.

"Two," she counted out loud. Two more. Two...more.  
She frantically scanned the chaotic scene through the eyes of her scope. Mando was in a close contact fight with one of the men. The enemy hunter shoved Mando backwards to create space between them. While Mando stumbled back, the man brandished a knife from the side of his boot. Before he could charge towards her partner, she held her breath and fired a single shot directly into the man's chest. He fell to his knees, collapsing at the feet of a stunned Mandalorian.

Mando followed the trajectory of her blaster, finally taking notice of the small sniper that was perched on top a nearby rooftop.

"Three," Tajana kept track to herself.

"TAJANA!" Mando's deep voice yelled out. The girl's shoulder was tugged on roughly; Tajana flipped over to come face to face with another one of the Guild members who had come after them. She turned to the side, narrowing missing the round the fourth man had fired where she previously lay. He reached down to grab around her throat, firmly applying pressure while using his other hand to knock her rifle far off to the side.

"Dank...f-farrik.." She hissed in frustration. Stars, this is what she gets for letting her guard down. Instead of fighting off the man's grasp, she arched her back against the ground to create enough space to unsheathe her two daggers. The man pushed off her, barely missing her swing. Tajana didn't have enough time to bring herself to her feet before he raised his blaster to fire at her again. She dodged his shot once more, then jammed the circular blunt ends of her daggers together. They latched on to one another with an audible click. Twisting them in opposite directions, the opposite ends of the blades jutted forward, creating a double ended spear like weapon. One end shot behind Tajana, scraping up against the rocky rooftop, while the other rocketed towards the hunter, embedding itself deep in his chest. His blaster fell from his hands and his body slowly went limp. Tajana twisted her weapon once more in the opposite direction, the spear quickly receding. She pulled the handles apart, separating the two blades from each other once again, and placed them behind her back.

Tajana slowly laid down on her back, the tightness in her throat catching up to her. She let out a few strained coughs. "F-four," she sighed to herself.

Mando's grappling hook latched onto the edge of the roof, just a foot away from where she lay. He gripped the edge hard with both hands and pulled himself upwards.

"Hey, hey!" He called out. Mando rushed over to where she lay trying to catch her breath. "Are you hurt?"

"Why is it..." she coughed, "you always assume I'm hurt?"

"It didn't look good for you from my point of view." Mando said darkly.

"Just because I don't run around wearing fancy beskar armor doesn't mean I'm weak, Mando," she grumbled. Tajana began to push herself up into a sitting position. Mando stood up, slowly eyeing her to make sure she was okay.

"I didn't say that you were," he argued. "But we need to get the hell out of here, now." He extended his hand out towards the golden eyed woman, gently pulling her to her feet when she took his hand in hers.

* * *

"So much for stocking up on supplies," Tajana groaned. Mando passed her his Ambian rifle and she locked his weapon along with hers back into the weapons cabinet. Mando reached underneath his cape to open the flap to the bag that housed the foundling. It cooed happily when Mando freed it from its confining, cloth prison.

"Do you mind watching the kid for a bit?" Mando started asking. "I need to make a call to someone. It won't take long."

"Of course not," Tajana said softly, taking The Child from the bounty hunter. "I'm sure he's hungry after all that excitement, though I don't have much to offer him."

"Unfortunately after that whole ordeal, I think it's best we lay low for a bit," Mando warned while ascending to the cockpit.

* * *

"You need to rest," Mando called out to Tajana from across the cabin. She sat on the edge of the cot, rocking The Child back and forth, humming softly while his overgrown ears flattened against his head and his eyes drifted shut.

"Did you get ahold of your friend?" Tajana said, purposely brushing the Mandalorian's previous comment to the side.

"I wouldn't exactly call him a friend," Mando said quietly to avoid disturbing The Child. He took a seat next to her on a nearby crate. "He needs help with a job though, and it'll pay rather handsomely."

Tajana hummed in response, still rocking the infant to sleep. "I think it's best for you to sit this one out," Mando said after a moment of quiet. "Ran isn't the most...noble man. I don't know who he works with now, but I don't have much faith in them either."

"Then why are you going?" Tajana asked, her rocking stopping abruptly.

Mando stayed silent. "A job's a job, I guess."

He stood up slowly. "Rest, please. We'll be arriving at his space station shortly. Stay on the ship and watch after the kid."

Tajana yawned and raised her hand up to her head in a sarcastic salute. "Yes, captain."

Mando shook his head slowly, thankful she couldn't see his eyes rolling underneath his helmet.

* * *

The bounty hunter stepped off the Crest and walked through the space station's expansive hangar. He started at passer-byers through the solid black tint of his visor, not one of them being the man he was searching for. When he heard his name called from afar, he pushed past the random civilians to reunite with his old business partner. Ran smiled when he roughly clasped hands with the Mandalorian; it wasn't necessarily a genuine smile signifying he was happy to see the hunter. Rather, it stemmed from amusement that Mando had decided to reach out to the man after so many years apart.

The two ascended up to the catwalk that overlooked the massive station. Mando peered down at everyone below that walked by or tended to their own vessels. "So what's the job?" Mando asked the bearded man standing besides him.

"One of our associates ran afoul of some competitors and got himself caught," Ran explained slowly. "I'm putting together a crew to spring him. It's a five person job, I got four." He paused to nod in the direction of the Razor Crest. "All I need is the ride, and you brought it."

Mando stiffened. Shit...Tajana and the kid were on board. He uneasily glanced over his shoulder at the ship. "The ship wasn't particularly of the deal," he tried to play off nonchalantly.

"Well, the Crest is the only reason I let you back in here," Ran shrugged. Mando towered over the shorter man, who in turn, began to size up the Mandalorian. "What's the look? Is that gratitude?" Ran laughed demeaningly. He pushed past Mando, not breaking eye-contact until the last possible second. "Uh-huh, I think it is."

* * *

Tajana set The Child down inside of Mando's sleeping quarters, sealing the door behind her. She took a quick shower, then wrapped herself in a towel and climbed up to the the upper level of the Crest to change. She put on a tight black pair of pants, a white short sleeved tunic, and her black jacket. While slipping on her boots, the sound of the Razor Crest's ramp being lowered made her freeze completely. Mando didn't seem like the kind of person who would have forgotten anything on the ship.

Tajana brought herself to her feet as quietly as she could. She reached into her bag, pulling out both of her daggers and securing them across the small of her back. Her blaster was left down below, a foolish decision now that she needed it at this moment.  
She heard footsteps making their way towards the ladder and unsheathed one of her blades. Her senses kicked into overdrive when she realized the intruder's footsteps were too light and too close together sounding to be Mando's. The Mandalorian had long, heavy strides; these sounded more like light shuffling.

The second a robotic head resembling an insect's emerged from the top of the ladder, Tajana kicked the trespassing droid back down to the bottom level of the ship. It landed on its back with a loud clang, completely caught off guard.

Tajana jumped down to the lower level, her leg ripped out from underneath her by the droid once she made contact with the ship's metal flooring. She groaned in pain when she landed face first. Parting the layers of her scarf some, she turned her head to spit out a small stream of blood that trickled out from her now busted lip. Both she and the droid scrambled to their feet, his blaster aimed right at her while she drew both her daggers in defense.

"HEY!" Mando shouted from the top of the ramp. He angrily bounded towards the intruding droid, grabbing the blaster it held and shoved it downwards to aim at the floor.

"Were you not aware you had a stowaway on your ship, Mandalorian?" The droid questioned.

"She's not a damn stowaway, she's my pilot!" Mando barked.

"Why did you not mention this beforehand?" The droid argued.

"I didn't think you would break into my ship without me knowing," the bounty hunter said with hostility.

Tajana panted heavily from the brief scuffle. "Mando, you mind telling me what the hell is going on?" She hissed while placing her daggers behind her back.

The Mandalorian's beskar helmet whipped in her direction. "It seems as if there's a change of plans now," he said in a frustrated tone.

"Hey, what's going on up in there?" A man's voice called up from outside of the Crest.

"It appears the Mandalorian has a woman on board with him," the droid answered.

"Oh, no shit, Zero?" The man whistled. "Well come on then, bring her out!" Loud laughter erupted from beyond the entrance of the ship.

Zero looked between Mando and Tajana. When neither of them had moved any, he cocked his head to the side. "It appears you did not hear Mayfeld. Your presence is requested outside."

The three of them stepped down the ramp and into the station's hangar. An older, bearded man let out a loud whistle once his eyes locked onto Tajana.

"Who woulda thought that you had it in you, Mando?" He mused. "I knew you were bound to get lonely on that ship of yours." The gruff man stepped forward, reaching to grab Tajana's hand in a tight embrace. She shuddered at his forward behavior, trying her best not to pull back from his tight grip or show discomfort in her eyes. "The name's Ran. Mando and I go way back. We used to do a lot of business together, isn't that right, Mando?"

Ran laughed when the bounty hunter turned slowly to stare down at the man. "How rude of him to not let us know you've been up there all this time. Doesn't surprise me though. That's okay. Anyways, you already met Zero. He'll be piloting the Crest for this job. The big guy with the horns is Burg, the Twi'lek is Xi'an, and then this guy over here is Mayfeld. He's the one I'm leaving in charge of this whole operation."

"She's not coming along, Ran," Mando's low voice said threateningly. "You said this was a five man job. You already have your five."

"Oh nonsense," Ran said dismissively. "The more the merrier, am I right? Seems like she's got some fight in her, huh?"

Tajana would be lying if she said the different sets of eyes staring down at her didn't make her uncomfortable. She knew Mando didn't trust these people. She's didn't know why he decided to take this job to begin with. Hell, they made the decision to include her in this when doesn't even know what the fuck was going on.

"So we got a Mandalorian on our team, and now one more addition," the man named Mayfeld began. "What about you, sweetheart?" He asked, walking up on Tajana. "What secrets are you hiding under there?"

He reached up to tug gently on the end of Tajana's black scarf. She immediately withdrew one of her elongated daggers from its sheath, pressing it firmly against his neck. Xi'an hissed at the smaller woman angrily, firmly gripping a throwing knife of her own she had been previously toying around with. Burg growled and moved closer to Tajana, his shadow completely enveloping her in a failed intimidation tactic. Mando drew his blaster from his side, aiming it directly at Mayfeld's head. The lanky man withdrew his hand and held both of them up in a sign of peace.

"Geez you're worse than your tin can partner. Gotta give it to you though, nice reflexes. Wouldn't expect anything less from a Kage."

Tajana noticeably flinched.

"You know, I knew something was off about her!" Xi'an cackled maniacally. "But please Mayfeld, look at her; she's a mutt!"

"We could still use her," Mayfeld snapped. "Half-breed or not, she's still got that blood in her. You guys ever heard of them Kage Warriors?" Mayfeld clicked his tongue. "Man Mando, I can't believe she hasn't taken you out in your sleep already. You must have her trained pretty well."

"That's enough." Mando warned, shoving his blaster further in Mayfeld's direction.

"Struck a nerve did we? Don't go getting Xi'an all jealous now," Mayfeld teased. "We can't afford a catfight on this mission, though I would pay some fine credits to see that. Anyways, let's get back to business, before we got distracted by this whole fiasco."

Zero walked back into the Crest to examine its controls. Mayfeld beckoned the rest of the group, now including Tajana, to a large table situated on the catwalk. He brought up a hologram that appeared to be the layout of another ship.

"This is a rescue mission, sweetheart! You better not let me down, you hear?" Mayfeld directed towards Tajana. "The package is being moved on a fortified transport ship," the sharpshooter continued. "Now, we got a limited window to board, find our friend, get him outta there, before they make their jump."

Mando looked over at Ran frustratingly. "That's a New Republic prison ship. Your man wasn't taken by a rival syndicate, he was arrested."

"A job is a job," Ran shrugged dismissively.

"That's a max security transport, and I'm not looking for that kind of heat," Mando argued.

"Well, neither are we," Ran countered. He pointed a finger between Tajana and the Mandalorian. "So you two just don't mess up."

"The good news for you is the ship is manned by droids," Xi-an explained. She giggled and looked over at Mando seductively. "Still hate the machines, Mando?"

The bounty hunter ignored her jest. Tajana looked over at him uneasily. She could tell his temper was rising and he was well past regretting his decision to work with these people, but it was far too late to back out of the deal now.

Zero emerged from the ship and approached the hologram map. "Despite recent modifications the ship is still quite a mess," he informed the others. "The power lines are leaking, the navigation is intermittent, and the hyperdrive is only operating at 67.3% efficiency."

"I'm working on it," Tajana grumbled.

Zero looked her way then back at the rest of the group. "We have much better ships. Why are we using this one?"

"Cause the Razor Crest is off the old Imperial and the New Republic grid," Ran objected. "It's a ghost."

"Yeah," Mayfeld added. "We need a ship that can get close enough to jam New Republic code. So," he pointed to the map, "when we drop out of hyperspace here, if we immediately bank into this kinda attitude, we should be right in their blind spot, which should give us just enough time for your ship to scramble our signal."

Mando gripped the side of the table roughly. "It's not possible. Even for the Crest."

Ran nodded in Zero's direction. "That's why he's flying."

The armored bounty hunter tensed up even more. "Mando, I know you're a pretty good pilot, but we need you on the trigger, not on the wheel. And your girl, well, her I'm not so sure about. Just leave it to Zero."

The mercenaries, including Tajana and Mando as well, began to board the ship. "Just like the good old days, Mando, huh?" Ran called out. Mando stared down hard at the man from the top of the Crest's ramp. He robotically extended his hand out to press the buttons on the inner walls of the ship to bring the ramp up.

"I don't like this," Tajana whispered next to him. Mando pushed aside the uneasy feeling in his stomach. He didn't either, but of course he didn't want to tell her that.

"Just stay with me. This'll be over soon," he tried to reassure both of them.

* * *

Mando stood in the doorway of the Crest's cockpit, angrily watching the droid pilot his ship. Tajana stood besides him nervously, watching how Mando's fingers twitched and his hands clenched tighter and tighter the longer Zero messed with the controls.

"Calculations complete," Zero spoke up. "Jumping to hyperspace...now. Feel free to join the others. I will handle it from here."

Mando tugged on Tajana's arm to pull her out of the cockpit. She could finally hear the familiar sound of the weapons cabinet being pulled open, followed by Burg's amused laughter. Maker, this wasn't going to be pretty.

Mando slid down the ladder with ease, Tajana following closely behind him. The bounty hunter closed the weaponry door in Burg's face with the use of his gauntlet, much to the annoyance of the much bulkier Devaronian. Burg growled and reached for the side paneling, trying to open the cabinet once more out of spite. Mando grasped onto his arm roughly, pushing Tajana out of the way when Burg growled threateningly at the smaller hunter.

"Hey, hey, hey! Okay, okay, I get it. I'm a little particular about my personal space too," Mayfeld bargained, trying to stop the impending fight between two men. "Let's just do this job. We get in, we get out, and you don't have to see our faces anymore."

"Someone tell me why we even a Mandalorian," Burg growled.

"Well, apparently they're the greatest warriors in the galaxy...so they say," Mayfeld said with fake enthusiasm.

Burg chuckled lowly. "Then why are they all dead?"  
The cabin erupted into laughter. Tajana felt her own anger rising, wishing desperately that Mando would put the massive creature in his place.

"Well, you flew with him, Xi'an. Is he as good as they say?" Mayfeld questioned.

The purple skinned Twi'lek sat hunched over on a nearby crate, balancing one of her daggers delicately on her fingertip. "Ask him about the job on Alzoc III," she said matter of factly.

All eyes honed in on the Mandalorian. "I did what I had to."

He sounded...ashamed. Sad, even. Tajana shifted nervously on her feet. What the hell was going on?  
Xi'an smiled wickedly. She dropped the dagger into the palm of her hand, shaking the handle in Mando's direction along with a pointed finger. "Oh, but you liked it. See, I know who you really are," she said menacingly.

Tajana could feel herself pull back away from Mando cautiously, her hands beginning to tremble slightly out of unease. Why was she caving into how poorly these people talked about Mando? She's been with him constantly for the past few weeks. He...he's not...like they make him seem to be. Is he?

"He never takes off the helmet?" Mayfeld asked, breaking the growing tension in the air.

Xi'an giggled and shook her head. "This is the way," she mocked.

The sharpshooter looked Mando over with a newfound interest. "I wonder what you look like under there," he mused. "Maybe he's a Gungan. Is that why...yousa don't wanna show your face?"  
The three mercenaries cackled hysterically. Mando looked off to the side dismissively. "You ever seen his face?" Mayfeld asked Xi'an. She gasped in a theatrical fashion.

"A lady never tells."

"What about you, sweetheart?" Mayfeld asked, peeking behind Mando to look over at Tajana. "You know what he looks like? Or do you both still keep secrets from one another?"

"Leave her out of this," Mando sneered.

Mayfeld sat up straight and cocked an eyebrow at the hunter. "Aw, come on, Mando. We all gotta trust each other here. You gotta show us something." Burg stood up and slowly began approaching both the beskar wearing hunter and his partner. "Come on, just lift the helmet up. Come on. Let's all see your eyes."

When nobody reacted, Mayfeld nodded towards Burg to make the first move. The Devaronian shot his hand out in an attempt to grasp Tajana's scarf, rather than Mando's helmet. She jerked back from surprise, narrowly missing Mando's fist which plowed into Burg's chest, sending him careening into refresher. Burg braced himself against the wall with his hands outstretched, some of his fingers making contact with the control panel Mando had prevented him messing with earlier. The door to the cot shot open, revealing The Child who stood on top of the mattress, curiously staring at all the new strangers in the room.

"Whoa! What is that?" Mayfeld marveled at the creature. "You get lonely up here, buddy? Huh? Wait a minute..." he gestured between Mando and Xi'an and then Mando and Tajana. "Either of you two make that? Huh? What is it? Like...a pet or something?"

'Y-yeah. Something like that," Mando stuttered. Stars, this wasn't good.

Xi'an sauntered towards Mando. She smiled and bit her lip, looking the Mandalorian up and down. "Didn't take you for the type. Maybe that code of yours has made you soft."

"I was never really into pets," Mayfeld talked out loud.

"Didn't have the temperament. Patience, you know. I mean, I tried but it never worked out."

Tajana ignored his rambling. Her gaze was fixed on The Child, trying to keep herself from overreacting and making a big scene while the sharpshooter cradled the kid. "I'm thinking... maybe...I'll try again with this little fella. Huh?" Mayfeld finished. He bounced The Child up and down in his arms.  
The mercenary glanced between Mando and Tajana a few times before locking eyes with the the taller man. He buckled his knees and dropped his arms sharply, laughing when Mando flinched at him fake dropping The Child.

 _"Dropping out of hyperspace...now,"_ Zero's voice boomed from up above. The Crest came to a sudden stop, knocking everyone below off balance.

_"Commencing final approach...now. Cloaking signal...now."_

The ship dove sharply and swooped violently to the side. The supply crates smashed into the metal walls of the cabin. Burg fell backwards with a loud smash, taking Xi'an down with him. Mayfeld lost his grip on The Child while attempting to brace himself up against the walls. Tajana dove after the infant, coiling her arms around him protectively. Mando dove on top of her, locking her tight between his legs and pinning her curled up form between his outstretched hands.

_"Engaging coupling...now."_

The ship dropped downwards and rocked to the side, causing Tajana to grip on tighter to The Child. Mando reached with one arm to cradle the back of Tajana's head, pulling her closer into his chest.  
The Razor Crest stabilized once it docked to the transport. Mando's body relaxed, and he pulled himself backwards and to his knees once the ship had stopped moving.

 _"Coupling confirmed. We are down. And relax. Commence extraction...now,"_ Zero finished.  
Tajana tore herself away from The Child. She gave him a once-over to make sure no harm had come to him during the rough landing, then passed him to Mando to be put back on the cot.

* * *

"It's me?" Mayfeld asked begrudgingly.

Burg looked at him stupidly. "Always you."

Mayfeld sighed loudly before sticking his head down below to see if the coast was clear. He dropped down to the hallway of the prison ship they were connected to, Xi'an and Burg following in his steps once they knew it was safe.

"So much for the element of surprise," Tajana scoffed when she heard the thunderous quake of Burg's weight coming into contact with the surface of the prison ship when he jumped down the ladder. She could've sworn she heard what sounded like a small chuckle come through the Mandalorian's modulator before he himself advanced down below. She eyed him carefully, his helmet looking up in her direction and jerking backwards to let her know she was good to join them. Tajana set her feet on the ladder and climbed halfway before a leather gloved hand came into her view. Mando raised his hand out to her to ease her down the rest of the way. She took it, using his aid to easily jump down the last remaining steps.

"All right, we're on the clock," Mayfeld warned the group. "Second we engage those droids they're gonna be all over us."

"Approaching control room. Make a left at the next juncture," Zero's robotic voice spoke through the comms link. Their quick strides came to a sudden halt when a small repair droid scurried past, causing everyone to halt and raise their weapons.

"What? It's just a little mousey," Burg chuckled. He pointed his blaster in the direction of the fleeing little droid. "Come here, little mousey."

"Burg..." Mayfeld warned..

"Mousey, come here. Come here."

"BURG."

The unmistakable loud bang of a blaster being fired ripped through the corridor.

"No! Burg! What're you doing?!" Mayfeld yelled.  
Several security droids rounded the corner, firing down the hallway while everyone ducked behind the thick doorframes for cover.

"We're too exposed here!" Xi'an yelled over the chaotic gunfire coming from both sides.

Mando grabbed Tajana's shoulders and pushed her tightly against the wall. "Stay here."  
He let go of her, and Tajana watched as he started to turn his back to the rest of the group.

"No, Mand-"

He pushed her back down against the wall when she tried to follow him.

 _"Stay. Here,"_ he commanded forcefully. Mando have her arm a soft, reassuring squeeze before sprinting down around a corner in direction they previously came from.

"Mando, let's go! You're supposed to be some special-" Mayfeld stopped himself mid sentence. Upon seeing the Mandalorian no longer with the rest of the group, the sharpshooter slammed his hand against the wall in frustration. "I knew it! I knew it!"

"Just wait a second," Tajana said calmly, still looking in the direction he ran off too.

Mando emerged behind the droids, grappling one and tossing it to the side. He knocked the legs out from another one, sending it crashing to the ground. Their blaster rounds harmlessly deflected off his smooth, impenetrable beskar armor. He made fighting look so effortless. Tajana and the others couldn't help but watch in awe at how he shook off the strikes the droids landed on him, only to fight back with more force. It wasn't long before the droids lay in a metal heap of sparking, smoking debris with Mando standing in the center, trying hard to catch his breath.

"Make sure you clean up your mess," Mayfeld remarked with a cocky grin. The remaining mercenaries carried on down the hallway save for Burg, who roughly shoved past the Mandalorian.

"Were you just trying to one up me from earlier?" Tajana mused when she approached him.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mando replied, a small amount of sarcasm seeping through his modulator.

Tajana shook her head slightly, smiling underneath her scarf.

* * *

"Zee, open the door!" Mayfeld ordered through the comms link.

"But I'm detecting an organic signature," the droid protested over the comms.

"Just open the door!"

The entrance to the control room slid open, revealing a startled uniformed guard holding a blaster in Mayfeld's direction. "Stop!" The man shakily warned. "Just...stop...right there! You p-put down the blasters right n-now!"

Mayfeld ignored his warning. He tilted his head to the side and grinned at the man, lackadaisically strolling right past him and scanning the screens for the information he needed. "Nice shoes," he commented.

"Put down your blasters," the guard warned once more, trying desperately to find a sense of confidence in his voice.

"Matches his belt," Mayfeld continued relentlessly.

Mando walked up slowly to the sharpshooter. "There were only supposed to be droids on this ship."

Mayfeld ignored the bounty hunter. "Hang on, hang on. See here uh...cell two-two-one. All right, now for our well dressed friend..."

The shaken man reached into his pocket, brandishing a tracking beacon once the rest of the group began closing in.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hey, hey, easy, egghead. Put that down. Put that down. Come on," Mayfeld warned. His demeanor changed from joking to deadly serious the instant he locked onto the threatening device held tightly in the guard's hand.

"Easy," Mando tried to desperately in vain to alleviate the tension.

"Put it down. NOW!" Mayfeld commanded.

"Easy!" Mando yelled over him. "Nobody has to get hurt here, just calm down."

"What is that thing?" Burg asked.

"Stars Mando, what's going on?" Tajana asked quietly.

"It's a tracking beacon," he answered.

Mayfeld rolled his eyes and elaborated further. "He presses that thing and we're all done. A New Republic attack team will hone in on that signal and blow us all to hell." He shook his blaster at the guard once more. "Put it down!"

"Are you serious?" Xi'an asked incredulously from the corner she was sitting in.

"Yes, I'm serious," Mayfeld scoffed.

"You didn't think we needed to know that tiny little detail?" She hissed.

"I didn't think we'd get to this point!

Xi'an held her palm out, motioning to the events unfolding in the control room. "Yet here we are," she said sarcastically.

"Are you questioning my managerial style, Xi'an?!" The sharpshooter exploded.

"No, sir," the Twi'lek mockingly saluted before turning back in her chair.

"Hey, listen to me," Mando directed gently towards the terrified guard. "Hey, hey, hey, listen to me, okay? Look." He holstered his weapon, then turned to Mayfeld. "Hey, put it down."

"Are you crazy?" He snapped at the Mandalorian.

"Put it down," Mando commanded a second time. He turned to face the guard. "What's your name?"

"It...it's...Davan," the man choked out.

"Davan," Mando began soothingly. "We're not here for you. We're here for a prisoner. If you let us go about our job you can walk away with your life."

"No he won't," Mayfeld cut him off with a raised blaster. Davan, Mando, and Tajana all raised their own weapons towards the head mercenary.

"You realize what you're gonna bring down on us?" Mando warned.

"You think I care about that?"

Mando struggled to suppress his growing anger. "We're not killing anybody, you understand?"

"Get that blaster out of my face, Mando," Mayfeld spat.

"I can't do that."

"Get that blaster outta my face, Mando!"

Davan let out a soft groan that captured everyone's attention. His head rolled to the side, his legs giving out underneath him, and his hands opened, allowing the tracking beacon to spill out onto the floor.

"Would you both just shut up?" Xi'an sighed.

Mayfeld grunted and put his blasters back into his holsters. "Crazy Twi'. I had it under control."

"Yeah, looked like it," Xi'an said smartly.

A faint beep began to echo throughout the room. Tajana followed Mando's stare to the tracking beacon resting on the floor near his feet.  
The last bit of remaining colored drained from Mayfeld's pale face. "Was that thing blinking before?" He asked. He already knew the answer, everyone did. Still, he asked out of desperation, praying to the Maker that he was wrong. "Was it?" He asked again, slightly more frantically the second time.

"Maker, what the fuck did you do?" Tajana hissed to the Twi'lek.

"Zero to Mayfeld. Zero to Mayfeld. I detected a New Republic distress signal homing in on your location," Zero warned. You have approximately 20 minutes."

* * *

"Z, open it up," Mayfeld barked through the comms link once they approached the desired prison cell.

"You have 15 minutes remaining."

Open it up!" He ordered again. The prison cell door opened, revealing a purple male Twi'lek that closely Xi'an.

"Qin," Mando acknowledged the man sternly.

"Funny," the Twi'lek started. "The man who left me behind is now my savior."

He slowly strode out of then prison cell, not breaking eye contact with the bounty hunter once. Qin stopped directly besides the Mandalorian, smiling dishonestly. "Mando."

Burg launched himself forwards, slamming his fist directly into Mando's stomach. The hunter slammed into the cell's back wall with a sickening thud, completely thrown off guard by the Devaronian's savage blow.

"MAND-" Tajana's scream was cut short when Burg turned on his heel and directed yet another blow onto her temple. Mayfeld caught her before she hit the ground.

"Jeez I didn't think you'd hit her that hard, big guy," he chastised. Burg growled and snatched the unconscious woman from Mayfeld's hands, tossing her roughly over his shoulder. "Attack's on the way. He's already dead meat! Let's go!"

"An eye for an eye Mando!" Xi'an called to the Mandalorian imprisoned behind them. "You deserve this!"

* * *

"Zero, we got Qin!" Mayfeld rejoiced.

"I found some information on the Mandalorian from the Bounty Hunters' Guild," the droid explained rather off topic.

"Yeah, yeah, do whatever. Just get us off this ship!"

They raced towards the ladder leading to the Crest, both the prisoner they were seeking and an unconscious Tajana in tow. On board the Mandalorian's gunship, the droid manning the cockpit looked down at screen, watching the bounty hunter's bio tracker making its way into the prison ship control room.

"Zero to Mayfeld. Zero to Mayfeld. You have a potential problem."

Mayfeld stopped dead in his tracks, his mouth wide open from the horror of what Zero was about to tell them. He looked frantically at the others, each one of them harboring a similar expression on their face.  
Zero's voice finally broke through. "He has escaped."

The mercenaries bickered violently between themselves, each one blaming the other or saying they should've handed things differently. The flickering lights silenced their shrieks, the bright white light of the hallway going out completely and being replaced with the crimson red glow of the emergency backup lighting. One by one, the security doors scattered throughout the hallway began to seal shut around them.

"Go, go, go, go!" Burg yelled.  
"Leave her, just leave the girl!" Mayfeld ordered before they all took off running down the corridor.

* * *

Tajana stirred from her sitting position against the security prison wall. She groaned from the dull ache that shot from her temple, down to her jaw and the rest of her head. The bright red glow illuminating throughout the entire corridor along with the flashing white lights a bit further off in the distance, only disoriented her even more. She rose to her feet carefully, taking a minute to go over what all happened before Burg's cement block of a fist collided with the side of her head.

"F-fucking hell," she whispered to herself. She had no idea how much time she had left before the New Republic fired upon the prison facility, or if Mando was still even on the ship. He wouldn't have left her behind...would he?

Her heart dropped at the thought. Tajana did her best to dismiss the idea of being deserted by the Mandalorian. She wouldn't roll over and wait to be blown to bits. All she wanted was to leave this place.

Tajana dragged her feet down the hallway, fighting back the sickening feeling of an oncoming concussion. A sense of relief washed over her when her ears picked up on a bunch of commotion happening around the corner and further down another corridor. She froze when she heard Xi'ans scream of frustration coming from the same direction. Slowly, she rounded the corner, keeping her body flush to the wall as much as she could. She kept creeping forward until Xi'an came into view. The Twi'lek paced nervously in the center of the hallway before stopping to raise her comms link to her mouth.

"Zero, where is he?" She asked in a hushed tone. When Xi'an released her finger from the side button that transmitted her voice to the droid's comm. Nothing came through the other end except crackling static. Xi'an hissed at the severance of communication between her and Zero. She continued walking further down the ship, then disappeared around another corner.

Tajana angrily withdrew her blaster from her side. She was in the process of following Xi'an until the familiar glint of beskar armor came into her line of vision. Mando tailed after the Twi'lek carefully, not noticing his pilot who was sneaking off towards the same direction. Once he completely passed by, Tajana pushed herself off the supporting wall and tried her best to silently chase after the Mandalorian.

Xi'an engaged with Mando the minute he snuck up on her. She tossed her dagger in his direction, knocking his blaster out of his hand and sending it skidding across the floor. She continued her barrage of throwing knives, each one bouncing off his armor with a high pitched, metallic ping. The sound of a blade successfully sinking into flesh followed by Mando's sharp painful groan, made adrenaline and anger flood through Tajana's veins when she stumbled across the two in battle.

Mando looked behind Xi'an in bewilderment at the golden eyed women who appeared behind the Twi'lek. He was too caught off guard to react when Tajana fired one of her grappling hooks in Xi'an's direction, ensnaring the woman in a vice like entanglement with the hook's cable. Xi'an cried out when Tajana ripped the her backwards, knocking the wind out of the Twi'lek when her back collided with the hard flooring; the loud bang that followed snapped Mando back into focus.

"Tajana, wait!" He called after her when he noticed his female counterpart about to fire her blaster down on Xi'an.

Tajana stared up at Mando, her eyes shining bright with hostility.

"W-what do you want, Mando?" She asked coldly while fighting off a dazed slur. The hit she took for Burg was coming back full force after she overexerted herself.

"Don't...shoot her..." he panted. "She's coming with us."

Mando reached down to grab the captured Twi'lek. Tajana reluctantly released her grappling hook, allowing its tight grip to relax and begin slipping back into her gauntlet. Mando caught the cable before the rest of the hook receded back into its release chamber. He studied the cable closely, noticing its shiny, metallic coating. His eyes trailed up to the unblemished, silver rod that the self-releasing hooks were attached to.

"Beskar?" Mando asked in astonishment. "Where did you get this?"

"I didn't steal it, if that's what you're wondering," Tajana remarked dryly. He released the rod, watching it travel back into the safety of her gauntlet. "It was...given to me. Now come on, there's no time for small talk. In case you forgot, this ship will be a goner any minute now."

* * *

"You're gonna pay for this, Mando!" Mayfeld screamed once the Mandalorian sealed him, Xi'an, and Burg in the holding cell that previously belonged to Qin. The hunter gave them one final look before grabbing Tajana's arm and leading her towards the direction of the Crest.

"There's one last thing we gotta take care of," he said low enough for only her to hear.

They approached the ladder, noticing the silhouette that beginning to climb upwards to make its escape on board the Razor Crest.

"Qin!" Mando shouted.

The male Twi'lek released his grip on the steps defeatedly.

"You killed the others," the man bluntly assumed.

Mando tilted his head in Qin's direction. "They got what they deserved."

"You kill me, you don't get your money," Qin pointed out with his blasted raised at Mando. "Whatever Ran promised, I make sure you get it, and more. Come on, Mando. Be reasonable, huh?" He suddenly had a change of heart and threw his weapon down. "You were hired to do a job, right? So do it. Isn't that your code? Aren't you a man of honor?"

Mando's arm lowered slowly. Tajana hesitated to lower her own blaster but when Mando nudged her side, she reluctantly obeyed. Stars, Qin was smart. He knew exactly what words to tell the Mandalorian to get him to listen.

"We have to leave," Mando stated firmly. "Now."

They ascended up the ladder quickly. Before Mando made it to the upper level of the Crest, he came across the sight of Zero cornering The Child, blaster raised directly at the infant and ready to attack. The Mandalorian fired a shot into the droid's back without any second thought or moment of hesitation. He scooped up the foundling and made his way to the cockpit, eager to jump into hyperspace so he could deliver Qin as quickly as possible, and put this whole disastrous mission behind him for good.

* * *

Ran eagerly approached the Crest the minute the gunship touched down in his space station's hangar. Mando opened the ramp to the ship, standing at the top with Qin and Tajana on either side of him. Ran looked over the three, his face falling ever so slightly and his lips turning downwards into a scowl when he noticed the fest of his crew was unmistakably absent. Qin stepped off the Crest, smiling widely at the freed prisoner and embracing him.

"Where are the others?" Ran asked the bounty hunter after his short-lived moment of happiness had subsided.

"No questions asked. That's the policy, right?" Mando replied nonchalantly.

Ran's jaw clenched. "Yeah. That is the policy."

Mando pushed him further. "I did the job."

"Yeah. You did," Ran replied through gritted teeth.

"Just like the good old days," Mando mocked after catching the coin bag Ran tossed his way.

"Yeah, just like the good old days," Ran replied with take enthusiasm.

The Mandalorian was digging his knife deeper and deeper into his former business partner's wounds with each sarcastic remark the hunter sent his way.  
Mando looked down at Ran one last time, knowing full well there was one more surprise that was coming his way the second the Crest pulled out of the hangar.

Three X-wings dropped out of hyperspace, narrowly dodging the Razor Crest that was speeding off in their incoming direction.

"Y-you didn't," Tajana gasped once they came into view.

Mando said nothing but glanced over his shoulder, watching as the three ships rained down heavy fire on the space station.

Tajana laughed, a sound that Mando hadn't heard from her before. Her sweet sounding giggles continued while the Crest jumped to hyperspace, far away from the scene of karmic destruction.

Mando sighed heavily once the swirls of blue and white stretched out across the window. He unwound a steel, heavy ball from the top of one of the levers on the control panel; it was a favorite of The Child's to play with. He passed it to the infant, then looked between his soon and his pilot who was staring back at him from one of the copilot chairs.

"I told you that was a bad idea," he commented out loud. Mando stretched his arms backwards, suddenly gasping and flinching when he felt a sharp sting near his armpit.

"Mando?" Tajana asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," he grunted. "It's...from Xi'an."

"Stars, I forgot about that. Let me take a look," the younger girl said standing up from her seat. Mando flinched once more when she removed his pauldron to get a better look. There was a bit of blood seeping through a small tear in his tunic, but nothing that looked serious. "Follow me," she called, motioning him outside of the cockpit. "That can of bacta is somewhere around here."

"Sit still," Tajana demanded harshly when Mando gasped at her fingers separating the torn ends of his tunic. Taking the bacta spray, she shook it several times before spraying the last of its contents onto Mando's wound. His muscles spasmed at sudden chill from the the cold liquid hitting his skin. He let out a small sigh of relief once the analgesic properties of the spray immediately began to set in.

"Looks like that's the last of our medical supplies," Tajana noted. She grimaced when she stood up straight and had to clutch the back of Mando's seat to steady herself.

The hunter reached up to better evaluate the wounded side of her head. Tajana defensively slapped his arm away. "I'm fine, just a headache is all."

"Just let me look at it," he countered.

"Stars Mando, I said no! If you were looking injured under your helmet, would you let anyone see?"

Mando said nothing for a good minute, knowing that his answer would be "no".

He finally spoke up. "Should I be worried?"

"About what?" She asked.

"About...what Mayfeld said."

"What?" Tajana played dumb. Mando stared knowingly at her, easily seeing right past her bullshit. "Me taking you out one day?" She finally admitted. "I know what you're thinking Mando-"

"What is it that I'm thinking about?" He interrupted harshly.

"You have a lot of questions," she finished. "Everyone does."

"Yes. Does it bother you that I don't ask?"

"Of course not," she answered. "I don't ask you questions the same reason why you don't ask me any."

"Which is?"

"Because you probably won't answer them, and that's ok."

Mando said nothing for a moment longer. "It depends what you want to know."

Tajana stood up quietly. She leaned against closed armory cabinet doors, her head turned away from Mando while she gathered her thoughts. Her arms were crossed, her fingertips lightly drumming against her skin in a nervous fashion."I'm...I'm not going to hurt you or the kid. I'm not...like that."

"I didn't think you were," he answered truthfully.

"And I didn't think you were who Xi'an was painting you out to be," she muttered quietly. Mando barely caught on to what she said. Her voice was just barely above a faint whisper that he wasn't even sure if her comment was meant for him to hear or if it slipped out by accident.

Tajana looked down nervously at the Mandalorian who sat next to her, perched on the edge of the cot and listening with full interest. "My...my father was a Kage," she began. "There aren't many who live outside their home planet. Because of this, not a lot of people know much about them. The people who are familiar with the species, know that their most distinguishing features are pale skin, and yellow or pink eyes."  
Mando cocked his head to the side. Maker, it all made sense now.

_Golden eyes._

"Dad wasn't a Kage Warrior himself," she continued. "At least, not to my knowledge. He did, however, have a small group of rebel soldiers who he worked with to interfere with the Empire however they could. He used to tell me stories of the Kage's battles against the tyrant Belugans that tried to rule over their home planet. The Kage were elite soldiers; cunning, stealthy, and fast. It was in their blood.

"Is that why Mayfeld wanted you with us?" Mando asked.

Tajana shrugged. "Dunno. Keep in mind that I'm not full-blooded. My mother was a native on Tattooine. She was a simple, human woman. She met my father when he was passing through her hometown of Mos Espa. She was working in a cantina at the time. He and his group were celebrating a small victory against a squad of storm troopers they took out." She paused to let out a small laugh, something that was still a strangely foreign sound Mando even though he heard it just minutes earlier. "Dad always told me that mom was the first thing he noticed when they walked in. His friends were too busy laughing amongst themselves to notice the "dark skinned, brown eyed beauty" standing right in front of them. Boy, he loved her." Mando noticed the pain threatening to breach the surface in her eyes. He wanted to tell her she didn't have to go on, but he was secretly enjoying the way she spoke of her family. All of what she was telling him was pent up for Maker knows how long.

"Dad died several years after I was born." She said bluntly. "All the trouble he caused over the years finally caught up to him one day. Imps wiped out his whole team. Mom was heartbroken, of course. We still lived in Mos Espa at the time. Mom got sick when I was 15. Died right when I turned 16. That's...pretty much it." She finished quietly.

"How did you come about meeting Kuiil?" Mando asked.

_"...don't let him take me!"_

Tajana blinked away the memory. She shrugged and fiddled with the edges of her scarf. "I went to Arvala-7 to look for work as a moisture farmer. Kuiil took me in and taught me a few things, including basic ship maintenance. I returned to Tattooine not very long after and got situated in Anchorhead for a while. Traded some things with the Jawas that were always situated around there in order to make ends meet. Then I moved to Mos Entha and here we are now."  
Mando couldn't help but notice how intrigued Tajana seemed with playing with the ends of her scarf.

"That's...a lot of moving around for someone so young," he commented.

She didn't stop or look up at him. "I'm not as young as I look. I'd say early thirties."

Mando paused. "You don't know how old you are?"  
Tajana's hands froze. A bit of panic filled her eyes for a split second under the intense scrutiny of Mando's full fledged attention zeroed in on her. Stars, she could only imagine this is how someone he was actually interrogating felt. She was somewhat glad she couldn't see the intensity of the stare that she felt peering from behind his helmet, but at the same time, not knowing his expression also made it that much more unsettling.

"Lost track during all the moving around I did," she said smoothly. "There were bigger things to worry about other than birthdays. Do _you_ know how old _you_ are?"

Nothing came through the helmet's modulator. Tajana resumed picking at the frayed threads at the end of the long, tattered cloth around her neck. Her body language began relaxing at the feeling of victory that came from silencing the Mandalorian who was quickly becoming too curious for his own good.

"I have bigger things to worry about than birthdays," Mando repeated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't be able to publish anything else until after Monday and I was super into writing this chapter, so I wanted to get this out ASAP. I was up writing until 3 hours before I had to wake up for work lol. I'm back in school (eww) as well so it might take me a minute to get back into the groove of things and write more, but I hope to write another chapter by Tuesday or Wednesday! Again, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT. Yall make my heart all happy when I see new comments and kudos :D
> 
> I'm not sure if I missed anything while proofreading so if you notice any mistakes, please let me know!!
> 
> Jawa Translation:  
> "Mob un loo? Mob un loo?! Etee uwanna waa!"  
> How much? How much?! I want to trade!
> 
> "Nyeta. Yanna kuzu peekay,"  
> No. This is not for sale.


	6. The Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I have to wake up for work in 3 hours yay me)  
> Sorry for not posting for a few days. My life is a mess with school and work but IT'LL ALL BE OKAY. Thank you again for all the kind words and for taking the time to read my stuff :)
> 
> Keeping it going with some light fluff but this chapter is a little dark towards the end. 
> 
> TW: kidnapping, physical abuse, description of violence/blood

_"Why_ are you suggesting we go back to Tattooine?" Mando sighed exasperatedly.

"Because," Tajana began, "I can look around town for parts necessary to get the Crest running better. I have close ties with a lot of parts dealers there."

She sorted through bundles of frayed wires that were on the verge of touching the oppositely charged pieces dangerously next to it. Her skilled fingers pried apart the multicolored strands, twisting the correct pieces together and spacing the copper wires a safer distance from one another. Maker, this was a catastrophe waiting to happen. Besides the obvious safety risks, her own pride, and she supposed Mando's as well, was at stake. She was still irritated about how Zero harshly critiqued the ship before the start of their last mission, with his not so sugar coated observations at how flawed the Crest was. Their failed attempt at replenishing their dwindling supplies was also a contending factor in the need to stop somewhere. "We also need to stock up on bacta and food, for real this time. That little incident in Corellia put a damper on things," she added.

Mando sighed once more. "I'm not made of credits, you know," he grumbled. "I'll have to find more work while we're there. I still need to pay you for all you've done around here these past few weeks."

Tajana stood up and wiped the sweat from her brow. "We'll worry about that later. Right now we need enough to be able to get what we need to take care of the kid and each other."

"That may be so, but these lower paying jobs we're lucky enough to find, aren't covering much of anything," Mando admitted bitterly.

Tajana fiddled with the tips of her gloves, then slowly began to pull them off while staring at the Mandalorian's boots. "If you don't mind me asking," she started nervously, "what happened with the Guild?"

Mando swallowed hard. She hadn't asked any questions before about much of anything involving him and the kid. He supposed it was only fair that he give her an answer, especially seeing how she brought herself to reveal information about her upbringing he was sure not many people had heard before.

"It's...complicated. I took on a mission to find the kid and when it came time to turn him in, I couldn't," Mando explained. "Well, I mean I did, but then I ended up going back for him. The man who hired me was ex-Imperial. He has a small group of troopers with him on Nevarro. I don't know what he wanted with the kid, but I couldn't let it happen."

Tajana fidgeted with her gloves. "You...you worked for the Empire?"

Mando's heart skipped a beat. Stars, she had every reason to hate them. Now to find out he actually took a job for them...

"No!" The bounty hunter shouted defensively, and a little too forcefully at that. "Well, yes...but the Empire isn't around anymore. To me, the job was a job. I don't side with them, not at all."

He stood awkwardly and stiffly in place while Tajana looked up at him, her golden eyes staring deep into his visor warily. What he wouldn't give to see the lower half of her expression right now. Was she frowning? Was she angry or upset? Her eyes always showcased so much raw emotion to make up for what part of her remained covered and unseen. This time, all he could make out was a flicker of distrust brewing deep in her honey tinted stare.

"I'm not proud of accepting a job from an Imp," he said while breaking eye contact with the girl. "But it got me the kid, therefore I have no regrets."

Tajana continued to glare hard at his beskar helmet, her eyes softening some when she realized just how much the battle hardened hunter in front of her cared for his son. "I supposed neither he nor I would be standing here had you not done what you did."

Mando's head shot up to look in her direction. Again, he found himself desperately wanting to see her face, to know what she was thinking and be able to read her puzzling, obscured expression. His mind flashed to the bits of tanned skin he mistakingly caught a glimpse of while she slept on his cot several days prior. It felt like a sin to see such simple parts of her face. He had only looked for a second. Stars, he couldn't remember what exactly he had seen even if he wanted to. Mando wasn't used to being the one who wasn't allowed to see another beings face; is this what it felt like for everyone else around him?

"I'm setting a course for Tattooine," she spoke up suddenly, breaking his concentration rooted deep in his thoughts. Her voice was hardened and serious. Whatever moment they had building up was over. When Mando didn't argue, Tajana started to make her way into the cockpit where she took her spot in his seat.

* * *

The Crest touched down in an empty hangar located in Mos Espa. Once Tajana fed The Child what last remaining bits of food they had left besides protein bars at this point, Mando collected the foundling and placed him in the cloth crossbody bag to be carried around with them on Tattooine. They emerged from the ship, the dry desert air hitting the exposed portions of Tajana's skin, leaving a soft burning sensation in its wake. The suns beat down overhead, reflecting off the metallic shine of both the Crest and the Mandalorian.

"This is where you grew up, isn't it?" Mando asked the shorter woman walking alongside him.

"Yes," she answered simply. "I haven't been back here since mom passed."

"Why'd you want to come back here of all places?" He asked.

Tajana shrugged. "It's...been on my mind a lot lately..."

The Mandalorian, pilot, and child traveled down the relatively busy streets of the marketplace. Loud chattering erupted from the multicultural and diverse crowds consisting of different species, all looking to find the best deals for whatever it is they were shopping for. Tajana started to take a few bigger steps ahead of the Mandalorian when a stand advertising medical supplies came into view. A sharp tug on her wrist made her fall back into place by her employer's side.

"Stay close to me," Mando warned.

"Why?" Tajana asked, a bit of worry laced in her voice. Her eyes scoured everyone congregated around them, looking for anything that seemed out of place.

"I don't want a repeat of Corellia," he explained.

Tajana scoffed and her body language relaxed. "You worry too much. We'll be fine."

They approached a beat up, wooden stand run by a Kubaz. Mando immediately placed a few credits on the countertop.

"Bacta, in any form you have it, please," the hunter requested the shopkeeper. Tajana raised an eyebrow in confusion following a few high pitched squeals and vague hand gestures that were directed to Mando, who sighed audibly and place another handful of credits in front of the Kubaz.

"Don't waste what we barely have," Tajana remarked.

"We need all this, don't we?" Mando answered sharply. He collected the few patches and cans that the Kubaz happily handed over to the pair in exchange for the rather generous looking sum of currency. "Besides," Mando continued, "one of these is coming out of your paycheck." Tajana shot him a surprised look. "You always said I had to waste one on you because of Calican," Mando deadpanned.

"And I had to waste the last of it on you from your run in with Xi'an," Tajana grumbled.

Mando scoffed and shoved the bacta in one of his side pockets. "I guess we're even then."

* * *

Mando stood off to his pilot's side ever so slightly, alternating between cautiously watching passer-byers and keeping an eye on his crew member, all while she sorted through a small basket of horned melon. The ripe, sweet, fruit was a bit of an expensive delicacy, but Tajana wanted to purchase just one to bring back to The Child.

"Do you like these?" Tajana called out to Mando. He turned his attention her way, glancing glancing at the plump, spiked yellow-orange fruit she held out in her hand.

"I don't know," he replied.

"You've never had one before?"

Mando looked at her again for a second without verbally replying, then glanced over once more at the people walking by. Tajana toyed with the melon before placing it in her basket of other groceries. "What foods do you like?"

Mando sent another perplexed look her way. Although his helmet completely hid his expression, Tajana could still feel the confusion radiating from out underneath his beskar. She felt rather silly, asking a deadly bounty hunter what he enjoyed eating.

"I don't know. I never cared about what I ate before."

She picked up on his use of past tense. "Before?"

Mando shrugged and looked off back towards the crowd. "I never had time to enjoy meals. But, I guess I like...soup."

Tajana's hand fumbled slightly when she handed the store owner the payment for their food. A warm sensation swept across her cheeks underneath her scarf, and it wasn't because of the intensity of the suns or the environmental heat.

* * *

"Looks like we'll have to hold off on buying new parts for the Crest," Tajana groaned loudly. Their lack of funds was quickly growing troublesome and it seemed there was no end to their financial struggles. With a hefty sum of their combined credits going towards refueling the Crest, paying for the hangar, and also for supplies, Mando kept an eye out for the closest cantina to ask around for work. They approached a rather large establishment and accompanied a circular booth in the farthest corner from the entrance. Many onlookers stole a few prolonged states at the Mandalorian and his accomplice who also hid her identity. Tajana shifted uncomfortably her seat at the unwanted attention.

"What can I get you?" An older woman asked when she approached the tense guests at the table.

"Nothing for me," Mando answered. "Bone broth for the kid, please."

"And a water for me, please," Tajana interjected.  
Mando's helmet shifted from the server who was walking away, to his partner seated across from him. He had never seen her eat or drink before in public.  
Tajana huffed and rolled her eyes. "Don't look at me like that, Mando. I'm not a droid, I have needs too you know."

The Mandalorian had grown accustomed to withholding himself from food and water when he was in public, even if his body demanded it. He had gotten rather used to the constant gnawing hunger and cold feeling in the pit of his stomach, and he learned to ignore the dry, patchy feeling in his throat that came forth every so often. The woman seated next to him was slowly chipping away at his resolve; he found his body would crave the meals she made or the drinks she brought him periodically. Mando's stomach seemed to growl even louder now most days. The occasional scratch in his throat would escalate to a parched, sandpaper sensation that was hard to ignore. He knew she had to have felt the same way at times. She hid herself the same way he did when it was finally time for her to give into her need to eat or drink. Granted, she still seemed to be able to reveal herself when she chose, such as in front of The Child, something Mando would never do. Her own code was not as strict as his, yet it was still perplexing that she was willing to bend her own set of rules now.

The waitress set the cup of steaming broth down in front of the ecstatic child who began to pout when Mando safely pushed it out of the infant's reach while it cooled down.

"Don't touch it yet," Mando warned sternly, gently pushing The Child's little green claws back down underneath the table. Tajana smiled and grabbed her glass the waitress had set down in on the table. She turned her head far off to the side, facing the empty corner of the cantina. Parting the thick layers of her scarf slightly, she brought the cup to her lips to discretely take a sip. Mando couldn't help but watch her closely. He felt odd seeing her drink in such a secretive manner, almost as if he was disappointed she actually didn't decide do so out in the open after all.

"Watch the kid for a minute," he said in an attempt to bring his mind back to why they were in the cantina to begin with. "I'll be right back."

The Mandalorian stood up and slipped out from behind the table. The room fell just a bit more silent when Mando weaved in and out of the tables to approach the droid manning the customers seated at the counter.

Tajana watched how the clusters of patrons that Mando passed by, tended to either cower in their seats some or cease their conversations when the hunter passed them by. Maybe it's because she has been traveling with him for a bit now, but she found it rather amusing how quick everyone was to assume that Mando was a ruthless warrior with a short fuse. She smiled softly to herself at the thought of how he tended to The Child and always made sure he was safe and properly cared for. A small giggle almost fell past her lips when she remembered how witty and sarcastic his dry sense of humor could be when it decided to show through his cold, metal exterior. Yet, Tajana couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness when she realized no one know what he was really like, including herself. She knew Mando for a few weeks now, yet he still felt like a stranger at times. Tajana could now start to admit she felt safe around him, but sometimes, he was terrifying. He was still a force not to be reckoned with, and be still held many secrets underneath the weight of all that armor. He was a grown man that no one knew much about. She wasn't even sure he knew much about himself. Stars, the man doesn't even appear to know his own likes or dislikes.

"There's a bounty I need to collect over in Bestine," Mando's deep voice broke through suddenly in front of Tajana. "Are you familiar with that city?" He asked the startled woman.

Tajana cleared her throat and tried to play off her being caught off guard. "Not really. I didn't live there nor have I been at all, actually. From what I've heard, it's a relatively safe area."

"I see," Mando noted. He passed The Child the cooled off bone broth, watching silently as the infant happily brought the bowl to his lips and drank the cloudy liquid.

Tahana watched The Child carefully as well. She was about to turn to drink once more from her own cup when a nearby conversation captured her full attention.

"...she's been missing a few days now. No telling what happened to her," a man's voice said defeatedly.

"Don't talk like that," his comrade interrupted angrily. "We'll find her. I know she's okay, I can feel it. Anchorhead isn't that far from here."

Tajana slowly set her cup back down on the stained wooden tabletop. Mando directed his attention from the kid to her, noticing the worry etched upon the top half of her facial features and swimming all throughout her golden orbs.

"It's not polite to eavesdrop," he commented.  
She shushed him and waved her hand dismissively. When she turned around to address the men behind her, they had already vanished.

"Did you see where they went?" She eagerly asked the Mandalorian.

"No. We already have a job to do and then we need to get out of here quick," he said resolutely.

Tajana ignored him and kept looking around at the other patrons of the cantina, frantically looking for anyone the voices could've belonged to.

Mando sighed and reached out to calm her down. "Hey," his soft but firm baritone filtered through the modulator, "we'll do some digging around Anchorhead once we're finished collecting the bounty, okay? But we can't stay long."

Tajana relaxed some and turned her attention to the hunter. She could feel his gaze that was penetrating through the jet black visor and focused on her. All she did was nod in response.

He wanted to ask her why she cared so much about one random missing person, why she seemed so disgruntled from the men's discussion that didn't involve her. His gut instinct told him there was no point in asking, that she would shut down and give him no answer. With the way she was acting, how distraught she seemed, it was something deeper than she was unwilling to talk about unless it was on her own terms.

The Child lifted some of the intensity of the heaviness that formed at the table when he cooed loudly to voice his content from the broth meal. The full little foundling reached up to set the empty bowl down on the table. Tajana smiled sadly and began to wipe his face while Mando pulled a few more credits from his coin bag and set them on the table.

* * *

When they made it to the Crest, Mando immediately set a navigation course for Bestine and began to pack for his new search for the quarry.  
"I think it's best you stay here," Mando instructed the younger woman. "This won't take long. Look after the kid for a few hours and try to get some sleep. When I get back, we'll both head into Anchorhead to see if we can find any information about a missing person."

He grabbed his Ambian rifle and secured it across his back. Tajana sat on the cot, staring absentmindedly ahead at the wall while repetitively rocking the kid back and forth in an attempt to lull him to sleep. His giant eyes were too busy watching Mando prepare to set out for another job.

"Tajana," Mando broke the girl's fixation on nothing, "I'll be back soon. I'll do my best to hurry."

She nodded wordlessly and watched the Mandalorian gently pat his son's head goodbye before lowering the ramp to the gunship and hurrying off towards Bestine.

* * *

_"Stop! You can't do this to me! Please, no!"_

Tajana's muscles twitched in her sleep at the recollection of her being dragged into the middle of a campsite in the middle of nowhere. She was thrown face first into the powdery sand dunes while a few men watched and laughed as she struggled to stand her ground.

_"I'm sorry! It won't happen again!"_

One of the men brandished a large vibroblade. Stepping closer to the panicked young girl, his amusement turned to anger when she tried desperately to fight back.

_"Please, stop it!"_

The sudden memory of sharp pain erupting across the bridge of Tajana's nose, violently ripped her from her deep sleep. She shot up from the cot, her body twisted and entangled in the thin blanket she covered herself with. Her breathing was erratic and her tanned skin was covered in a thin layer of sweat. A few soft whimpers escaped her lips as she disorientedly felt around the closed in walls of Mando's sleeping quarters, desperately looking for the switch to slide the door open. Her trembling fingers found the switch they needed and the door shot back, the faint orange glow of the lower level of the Crest flooding her vision. The Child that was sleeping peacefully besides her prior to her night terror, was now curiously looking at his caretaker, his wrinkly green brow creased even more with lines of worry and confusion. The infant babbled mindlessly and held one small clawed hand out towards Tajana. She tried her best to steady her shaky hands and erratic breathing when she reached for The Child.  
"Sorry little one," she exhaled slowly, trying to put a brave face on for the panicked infant. "It was just a bad dream."

The Child didn't seem to buy her lie that she was fine. He continue to watch her carefully, making sad cooing noises every now and then, his big black eyes staring deep into hers as if he were trying to understand what she was really thinking. Tajana's guilt began to fester the more she laid in bed under the surveillance of The Child. She picked him up and held him close to her face to maintain strong eye contact with him so he could fully understand what she was about to say.

"I have to go," she spoke slowly and sternly. "I know Mando said to wait, but I can't. I have to find the girl that went missing, and you need to stay here and be good until I get back, okay? I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I have to leave you, but please, please just stay here. I'll be back. I promise."

The Child sucked in his little lips in a deep frown. Tajana pulled down her scarf, revealing herself to the foundling. He looked over her entire face sadly and reached out to cup her cheek gently with one of his delicate hands.

"I have to do this," she whispered. "I can't let anything happen to her, not when I know what's out there."  
The infant made a few melancholy sounding babbles but then remained silent as he watched her dress herself quickly and equip her weaponry. Tajana hugged The Child tightly and apologized one last time before she laid him down on the Mandlaorian's cot, tucked him tightly, and slid the door closed behind her.

* * *

"I have credits! Lots and lots of credits. H-hey you know, I can get you a great deal on a better ship. I mean, not that your ship isn't...nice b-but who doesn't want the latest model am I right? W-wait, just hear me out. No, I can help you j-just wait! WAI-"  
Mando slammed the quarry face first into the cryogenic chamber. Stars, the complete silence that followed was a blessing from the Maker themselves. In this instance, Mando was strongly considering the option of bringing the bounty in cold, even if it meant docking some of his payment. Mando sat down across from the chamber, breathing in and releasing a heavy sigh. His legs were sore from the constant keeping up he had to with the evasive target. There was no element of surprise with this one; the quarry knew Mando was on the hunt for him. It was like trying to catch an annoying, slippery bar of soap in leather gloved hands. He put up a tiny bit of a fight, slicing the Mandalorian in between some of the vulnerable, exposed area between the beskar armor. It wasn't a deep laceration. The bleeding had mostly stopped on its own, but the more strenuous movements Mando made, the more he could feel the wound on his back stretch out and reopen. The constant stinging sensation further irritated the bounty hunter, making him wish he really did put a blaster hole in the quarry's head on their way back to the Crest. He chuckled in amusement to himself when he thought back to to small argument he and Tajana shared in Mos Eisley regarding their dwindling supply of bacta. She wouldn't let him live it down that he went and got himself injured again during such a simple hunt.

At first, the sound of nothing was well received by the worn out hunter. The much desired silence soon became a little too much for comfort. Mando cocked his head to the side in an attempt to hear any creaks or clattering around that would tell him just where his absent pilot was. There was nothing; no footsteps, no humming The Child to sleep, no nonsense speech coming from the kid...just unnerving silence.

A wave of panic crashed over the Mandalorian. He brought himself up to his aching legs, the wound in his side protesting from the sudden, erratic movement of his muscles that were already screaming from fatigue. As much as he wanted to call out for the kid or Tajana, he kept his mouth shut and his blaster drawn. With all the commotion that he and the quarry made, they must of known he was back. Mando crept along the upper floor of the Crest, treading lightly and doing his best not to alert any possible threats to his presence with the sound of creaky, metal footsteps. There was no one in the cockpit, no one in the lower level of the gunship. Mando ripped back the door to the refresher to see it was empty as well. He couldn't help the increasingly intense thudding of his heart beating up against his chest plate as he all but tore the ship apart trying to find any sign of his missing crew member.

A faint knocking sound coming from inside of the sleeping compartment nearly stopped his erratic heart rhythm. Mando looked back to see if the knocking would repeat itself, or if it was all inside his anxious, over-stimulated mind. When the noise repeated itself, he jerked back the covering to reveal a distraught, whimpering child.

"Hey kid, hey it's fine," Mando whispered reassuringly to the troubled infant. He did his best to comfort his foundling, his soft words of consolation not doing much for either one of them. "Kid, where is she? Where did she go?" Mando asked a little firmer. The Child sniffled and tore away its large, watery eyes from Mando's helmet to the ramp. Raising one little three fingered hand, he gestured sadly towards the ship's exit. "Okay. Okay, good. We're going to get her back okay? We'll go together and we'll find her."

The rush of adrenaline was beginning to silence his body's aching protest to settle down for the night. With a shaky hand, Mando activated the ramp's lowering mechanism and stepped out of the ship, desperately following the path of footsteps that trailed off from the base of the Crest.

* * *

Tajana spent hours asking around what felt like all of Anchorhead, desperately trying to find anyone who had any information on a possibly missing girl. Many civilians admitted they haven't heard anything of anyone being kidnapped, nor had they seen any suspicious activity as of lately. She was beginning to feel foolish for leaving The Child behind on the ship. Mando was going to be infuriated with her if he made it back before she did. If she came back empty-handed, it would make him even more upset that she risked The Child's safety for nothing. Maker, she was so selfish. What a stupid thing to do.

The streets were beginning to empty once the suns had complete gone down. The red, orange, and yellow hues from the beautiful Tattooine sunsets had dissolved into the black starry skyline, taking with it all sense of warmth and replacing it with a cool night time breeze. Tajana trudged along the dusty street pathways, bracing herself along the way for one hell of a chewing out from an angry Mandalorian father when she got back to the ship.

"Hey, you there," a soft female voice broke through the silence.

Tajana followed the direction of the voice to a small nearby storefront. Peeking behind a few storage crates, was a trembling and terrified young girl.

"P-please help me," she sobbed. "I just want to go home. They took me from my home."

Tajana's heart dropped when her golden eyes met the girl's glassy brown ones. Her face was covered in dirt and bruises, a bit of dried blood was caked on small cuts littering her feet and legs.

"Shit," Tajana gasped under her breath. She reached out to take the girl's hand and pulled her close. "You're going to be fine. I've got you, I promise. What's your name?"

"L-Lorelie," the girl stammered.

"Lorelie...that's a pretty name. Where are you from?" the raven haired woman asked softly.

"Mos E-Eisley," Lorelie stuttered.

Tajana nodded and smiled. "Okay, that's not too far from here. Now let's go. I'll get you home soon."

She glanced around once more to make sure they weren't being followed before maintaining a stead pace back towards the ship. After a few minutes of walking, Lorelie pulled back on Tajana's hand.

"W-wait. Wait," she cried out. "I...I can't."  
Tajana turned and stooped to the distraught girl's level.

"What do you mean you can't?" She asked.

Lorelie's lower lip trembled and her eyes began to water. "I-I'm sorry. They said they would let me g-go."

Tajana shook her head and placed her hands on the girl's shoulders. "I thought you said they took you? What do you mean they'd let you go?"

A few tears rolled down Lorelie's cheeks and left soft indentations in the sand below. "I'm so s-sorry. If I brought you...they'd let me go."

The pilot opened her mouth to speak but silenced herself when she heard the soft crunching of sand beneath boots behind her. She whipped her head to the side and she placed one hand on her blaster. A loud smack echoed off the nearby stone and clay buildings, and a few droplets of blood splattered across the walkway when the solid butt of a blaster rifle collided with Tajana's temple. Her blaster slid across the desert floor, and her body collapsed at the feet of three tall shrouded figures.

* * *

Mando followed the familiar, small set of footsteps all the way from Bestine to Anchorhead. He watched how they traveled from shopping strip to cantina, stopping along the way to converse with everyone who was willing to take time to talk with her as well. They continued to pace up and down the street, even as other people made their leave and headed inside for the night. What caught Mando's attention though, was a second, smaller set of foot prints that started to trail behind Tajana's. They stopped behind a row of supply crates, right where it appeared Tajana approached the stranger. The trail didn't go far however, for they stopped several feet away, and were then joined by three other people. Then, five sets of prints turned into four, with Tajana's being the absent set.

Mando deactivated his tracking setting in his visor. He stooped down to glance at dried crimson splatters in the sand that just barely caught his attention underneath the faint glow of a nearby street light.

"Dank farrik," he cursed to himself, pounding his fist into the sand. "I told you to wait for me."

* * *

Tajana groaned in discomfort when the overly bright glow of a small fire in the center of a cramped hut flooded her blurry vision.

"It's about time you woke up," a recognizable male's voice called out beside her. Tajana blinked heavily several times, trying hard to focus her eyesight on her attacker.

"Darro," she acknowledged through gritted teeth.  
The familiar man smiled down condescendingly at the raven haired woman. Her wrists were bound together tightly behind her back, and all her weapons had been removed and cast off to the side.

"I heard you were lingering around these parts before you even came back to Mos Espa. Traveling with a Mandalorian now, are we? News traveled rather fast regarding the assassin you two went after several weeks ago. You were long gone by the time I heard about it. But then, as luck would have it, you decided to come back to your hometown. I figured you would've been smart enough to stay away, but I guess not. I suppose it doesn't help that your current partner only draws more attention to you."

Tajana stared up angrily at him. She broke eye contact with him momentarily to glance around the room and noticed Lorelie cowering off in the corner behind him, along with another man who stood guard by the front entrance.

"It looks like you haven't changed your ways one bit after all these years. Did you take her from her home too?" Tajana spat, nodding in the direction of the terrified girl.

Darro shrugged. "Only after I heard you were in town. I knew you would fall for the whole kidnapping set up," name walked over slowly to Tajana. He hooked one finger in the loop of her scarf, pulling the dirtied fabric down over her shoulders. "I knew if had my guys follow you around Mos Espa and let slip the tiniest bit of information for you to hear, you'd want to come running to the rescue of another slave in need. You forget I know all about how your mind works. It seems like you haven't changed any after all this time, either."

The golden eyed woman lowered her head in disgust, hiding her face underneath her long curtain of hair. "I guess it doesn't surprise me that you would've tried to follow in daddy's footsteps, huh? Trying to act like some big, bad, rebel fighter. You always tried to so hard to help free the others, and yourself."

"You could've made me a wealthy man, you know. I didn't want to butcher that pretty little face of yours, but you didn't give me any other choice. I needed to make it so no one else would want you, so you would stop running away from me. Even then, you became too much for me to want to deal with. You always were so annoyingly stubborn and incredibly hard headed. I didn't want to put you down like your daddy was by the Imps, so I figured I would try to get some pocket change off you by selling you to the moisture farmers. Of course, you had to go and ruin that too by running away. You could've had a good life on Arvala, working on the farms and what not. You, on the other hand..." he clicked his tongue in a condescending manner and raised his blaster to rest against the throbbing side of her head, "you always gotta bite the hand that feeds, don't you?"

A sudden yell and sounds of blaster fire made everyone in the room turn to face the wooden doorway. The eerie silence that followed the violent commotion outside would've been overbearing if Tajana didn't have an idea of who was on the opposite side of the door. Her heart beat erratically in her chest out of relief when she realized there was only one person it could've been.

The wooden door swung wide open, nearly ripped off its hinges when one of the hooded men from Anchorhead smashed through from the outside. Darro clenched his jaw when he looked down at his fallen companion. His eyes trailed upwards to the doorway and caught the reflection of the firepit's flames dancing across a set of unblemished, beskar armor.

"So it is true," he marveled sarcastically. "You really are fucking around with a Mandalorian." He waved the blaster theatrically in the air. "Let me ask you something, Mando. How much you pay for her, huh? What do you get out of her? What does she do for you?"

Mando stood silently, his anger bubbling beneath his beskar where it was still contained beneath his armor, threatening to spill out at any second. Darro cocked his head to the side, slowly walking up to the rigid bounty hunter. "No answer, huh? Take it she doesn't do much then. Well, let me try this. How much would you be willing to pay for her?"

Still no answer.

"She killed my men when she escaped the last time," name said, raising his voice significantly. "Someone has to pay for those damages, Mandalorian. Either I take it out on you, or I take it out on her."

When Mando failed to deliver a response, Darro hoisted Tajana off the ground roughly. Her long waves parted around her exposed face, causing Mando to direct his attention down to his feet instinctively.

Darro let out a loud, perplexed chuckle. "What does she even mean to you? Have you not seen her face? Did she tell you I'm the reason why she hides it from others?" He bragged. "Do you even know her real name, or just the name the people of Tattooine gave to her?"

Much to Darro's irritation, the bounty hunter still refused to reply. "This is proving to be a waste of my time. I can sell that beskar of yours for more than what she's worth." He looked past Mando and jerked his head to the side. The second man from the ambush in Anchorhead fastened his arms tight around the Mandalorian, sending Mando to his knees with the man's arm tight around his neck. Mando fired his flamethrower behind him, causing his attacker to release his hold on the bounty hunter. He released one of his whistling birds, which struck the man dead on and sent him falling to the ground. Tajana seized the opportunity to kick Darro's legs out from underneath him. He fell hard on top of her and scrambled to reach for his rifle that landed besides them. Mando quickly reached into his boot, unsheathing a vibroblade which he threw into Darro's hand. He screamed out in pain but was silenced when Tajana flung her tied wrists around his neck and pulled him close against her back. He fought hard against her once his airway had begun to be cut off; ripping the blade from his hand, he raised it to strike Tajana, but Mando successfully fired a round from his blaster, knocking the weapon out of Darro's hand. Lorelie rose from behind the table which she hid and scampered towards the door. With no one left to stop her, she took her chance at finally escaping.

"Just...let...her go," Tajana breathed out heavily to Mando when he stood up to chase after her.

Darro's kicks against the dirt ground and swats against Tajana's face and arms began to slow. She pulled the binders tighter and tighter against her until his resistance had stopped completely. When he stilled, she panted hard from exhaustion and threw his body from underneath her bound wrists. She turned her back towards the Mandalorian who was still averting his gaze from the exposed portion of her face. When he saw she was safely hidden from his view, Mando began looking around the room until he caught sight of what he was looking for through his narrowed visor. He took the dirt covered scarf and patted the dust and sand particles from out of the cotton fibers the best he could. Mando kept his head down low and pointed away from Tajana while passing her back the dirtied cloth.

"Thank you," she said hoarsely, taking the scarf and lazily wrapping it around herself. She was waiting for him to yell at her, waiting for him to tell her how irresponsible she was for leaving The Child behind and disobeying his orders. But nothing came through the other end of the modulator. No deep rumbling baritone told her how foolish she was or how she causes the Mandalorian nothing but trouble. There was nothing but his typical, complete silence.

Mando sorted through the mess of the hideout and found Tajana's daggers and blaster that had been put off to the side. He collected his own vibroblade and wiped the light coating of blood from the tip before using it to pick the lock on the raven haired woman's cuffs. They dropped to the ground with a heavy thump, and Mando extended one leather gloved hand out to pull his pilot to her feet. She hesitatingly accepted, and was completely caught off guard when he turned his back to her as she rose, then hooked his arms under the back of her legs to carry her against him in a piggyback fashion. Her breath caught in her throat when she hit up against him; he was so sturdy it was like being slammed into a broad beskar wall. A little grunt came from the oversized bag hanging from the hunter's side when her foot accidentally not so lightly bumped into The Child.

"I-I can walk just fine, Mando," she nearly wheezed against the side of his helmet.

"We'll get back to the ship faster this way," Mando said curtly. Tajana flinched and ducked her head down against his shoulder when she noticed the subtle sharp edge to his voice.

Although it took her several minutes to gather the courage to speak and she was sure it was the last thing he wanted to hear right now, she finally managed to gather the courage to apologize to the intimidating man.

"I'm sorry, Mando."

The hunter kept his steady pace back to the Crest. "I told you to wait on the ship, Tajana," his voice said surprisingly delicately near her ear. The tiny spark of anger she noticed seconds ago, had completely disappeared. It was replaced with what almost sounded like...worry.

The golden eyed girl rested the side of her cheek against the small bit of unprotected space between Mando's neck and his pauldron.

"Aurelia," she said timidly. Mando took an extra step out of his ongoing rhythm. He turned his head closer to her to make sure she was actually speaking to him, or if it were a trick of his mind and she hadn't said anything at all.

"M-my name's Aurelia," she repeated almost inaudibly.

Mando blinked in surprise underneath the cover of his helmet. He continued his rhythmic march back to the Crest with the woman and child both clinging tightly to him. Just before the exhausted girl on his back closed her heavy eyes, she could've sworn to the Maker that she heard the Mandalorian repeat her name quietly to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I shall try to post more by early next week! I've got several pages of the next chapter written, but again my schedule is pretty busy and I've been neglecting my studies a bit :(  
> Chapter 7 will have A LOT going on. Oh my, I'm actually really excited for it. It'll probably (most definitely) be the longest one I've written so far and I want it to be perfect because there's a lot of fluff and meaningful moments I have planned for it. Y'all are amazing and bear with me please while I keep my brain on track with everything :)
> 
> Update 1-29-21: I've gone back and fixed a lot of proofreading errors as well as made a new Tumblr to keep up with other stories to read in my free time. If anyone has any recommendations or wants to keep up with me and my writing (as I might start posting new stories as well in the future, maybe even reader inserts and take requests), feel free to follow: 
> 
> selenium-drive.tumblr.com


	7. The Revelation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: talks of slavery, abuse, kidnapping...just some dark stuff ok...
> 
> selenium-drive.tumblr.com

It was nearly dawn when the worn out Mandalorian reached the Crest with his sleeping companion still situated on his back. The dull ache in his side from his previous encounter with the quarry he collected, had transcended into a throbbing, burning sensation with every small movement he made. His legs were on the verge of starting to tremble with each step he made on board the Crest from constant use and overwhelming fatigue. His hands had long gone numb from holding up the dead weight, passed out pilot he carried back home with him during the overnight search and rescue mission. Seeing the glow of his gunship under the moonlight of the open hangar ceiling gave Mando the final bit of strength he needed to get on board the ship and pilot them back to Mos Espa to deliver the bounty. Opening the hatch to the ship proved to be difficult without an extra free hand. The bounty hunter stumbled to a pile of stacked supply crates tucked away to the side off the hangar, and did his best to gently set Aurelia down on them while he lowered the ramp. She groaned in protest at the frigid desert air that hit her when she broke contact from the comforting warmth of the Mandalorian. Her eyes began to flutter open as she woke, taking in the sight of the vessel that they were about to board.

"Sleep well?" Mando asked. His own tired voice filtered oddly through the helmet's modulator, the weariness he felt making him sound intoxicated by intense exhaustion.

"Mmmm..yes, thank you," Aurelia answered groggily. She rubbed her eyes, suddenly flinching at the influx of pain that radiated throughout the side of her head. The pilot brushed her fingertips against the bruised, sensitive skin where the stock of Darro's rifle had previously struck her. She winced when her pain receptors strongly protested at the light contact her hand made with her temple.

"Perhaps I need to take a look at that," Mando said.

Aurelia shook her head a minuscule amount in protest. "I'm fine. Burg's hit from Ran's mission was far worse than this."  
Mando ignored her attempt at downplaying her discomfort. Once the ramp had lowered itself to ground level, he placed one hand on the small of her back and scooped his other arm underneath her legs. He hoisted her up bridal style while pushing his own tribulation in the back of his mind. Aurelia glanced down at Mando's side, noticing the two big eyes and ears that poked out from the bag he wore around his torso. Her amber honey stare warmed the heart of the small infant, and she smiled to herself when The Child cooed excitedly at her.

"He was worried about you," Mando's raspy voice spoke just above her ear. "Don't ever do that again, leave like that, I mean. I know rescuing that girl was important to you. I don't understand why, and you might not tell me, but please, don't do that again."

A sensation guilt nestled in her stomach, hard and heavy as a rock. She felt horrible for leaving The Child behind unprotected and vanishing without giving any kind of warning to the Mandalorian. No apology in the world could make up for the fact that she broke Mando's biggest rule of maintaining the safety of the kid. The fact that its father was being so merciless towards her, made Aurelia feel even worse.

"Mos Espa is not the nicest place to live, Mando," she started meekly. "Theres too much going on behind closed doors. There's too much...indentured servitude."

Mando's pace up the ship's ramp slowed. "You mean slavery?" He asked quietly.

Aurelia stiffened in his arms. "I hate that word. It's so dehumanizing. But yes, and I couldn't stand to see another person go through that unless I could help it."

They stepped onto the Crest, the Mandalorian setting Aurelia down slowly on the cot that they took turns sharing when they were able to partake in the luxury of being able to sleep. Off to the side, the ramp rose to its closed resting position, sealing off the light purple, orange, yellow, and pink hues of the incoming dawn sky. Mando reached into the brown cloth bag on his side to take out The Child and placed him next to Aurelia. She quietly watched the hunter's slow movements in the faint glow of the ship's dull cabin light until he started towards the ladder. Her hand shot out in the near darkness, catching hold of one of his bracers.

"Rest, Aurelia," Mando tried to order her sternly. The lethargy quite apparent in his tone made his demand for her lack any real sense of authority behind it. "You've been through quite a bit."

"When was the last time you slept?" she fought back.

"I will once the quarry is delivered. I won't be long, just please, stay here until I get back."

His plea made the guilty feeling in the pit of her stomach more prominent.

* * *

Just over an hour had passed until Aurelia could hear movement stirring near the entrance of the ship. The soft, muffled sound of voices and footsteps coming from the hull of the Crest was barely audible, even in pure silence. She slid the doors to the hull of the ship back slowly. She poked her head out from the darkness of the hidden sleeping compartment, her golden eyes illuminating in the soft orange hues of the dim light of the entrance of the Crest. Her breath caught in her throat before she was able to welcome who she thought was the Mandalorian, back onto the ship. The sight of an unknown, armed figure making his way towards the ladder filled her with such an intense, sudden rush of panic that she could almost feel her windpipe physically closing itself off and stopping her breathing. Her body immediately transcended into fight or flight mode, rather this time, it was all flight. Enough air recollected in her lungs to allow her to release the beginnings of terrified scream, but she was quickly silenced when a leather gloved hand clamped itself tight around the thick layers of her scarf.

"It's okay!" Mando grabbed onto the terrified woman, managing to encase both her wrists tightly behind her back with just one of his much larger hands once she tried to fight back against his hold on her. "It's me! It's me, I'm here! Aurelia, I'm here."

Mando looked up from his panicked crew member to the man that was accompanying him back to the ship to collect the bounty. The collector's blaster rifle was raised in their direction, his eyes widened in shock from clearly not expecting to be welcomed by a frantic woman once he boarded the Mandalorian's vessel.

"Hey, hey," Mando continued in a failed consolation attempt, "it's okay. It's me."

He waved the bounty collector onward to continue his duty of bringing the quarry's carbonite block down to the lower level and unload it off the Crest.  
Aurelia brought her knees up to her chest. She cradled them tight against her body I'm a defensive posture, both Mando and The Child watching her ride out her intense outburst. The bounty hunter's arm that was cradled around the curve of her back had stiffened when he heard a faint sob escape through the black cotton strands covering the lower half of her face.

"I-I'm sorry, Mando," she choked out.

Mando wasn't sure what to do in this moment. Consolation wasn't in his nature at all. The kid, although stubborn and mischievous, never cried too often or needed to be coddled. Even then, if The Child were to become upset over something, it was typically an easy fix. Mando didn't know what the cause of Aurelia's tears were.

"I thought they were coming for me," she whispered hoarsely. "Oh god...I thought they were coming for me."

"You're safe here, no one is after you. The kid and I wouldn't let that happen," Mando did his best to reassure her.

What sounded like someone's throat being cleared, emitted from the top of the ladder. Mando glanced up to see the bounty collector hoisting down the quarry's carbonite block from the upper level of the Razor Crest. The collector slid down the ladder and pushed the block down the ramp and off the ship. He made his way back up the ramp and placed a small coin bag in Mando's hand as payment for the bounty. Mando sighed heavily and sealed off the ship from the surrounding environment.  
"I'm not sure where to go to next, but anything's better than here. Maybe we need to lay low for a while."

"What did you have in mind?" Aurelia asked.

"I'm not sure. I suppose we could see what's nearby."

Mando headed up into the cockpit with both Aurelia and The Child following close behind. He sat himself down in his seat, a blinking indicator light on his hologram pad catching the corner of his eye through his tinted visor before he could pull up the ship's navigation settings.

"Is...is that a message for you?" Aurelia asked uneasily.

Mando looked back at her with his own discomfort safely hidden from sight under his heavy beskar helmet. He reached across the Crest's console to activate the hologram. A man he had thought to have died by his hand long ago, manifested in the hologram's bright blue light display. Mando balled his fists at his side.

"Karga," he growled.

Both he and Aurelia watched tensely as the message automatically started playing, filling the unnervingly silent cockpit with Karga's deep voice coming through the hologram speakers.

"My friend, if you are receiving this transmission that means you are alive. You might be surprised to hear this but I am alive too. I guess we can call it even. A lot has happened since we last saw each other...."

* * *

"So we're just supposed to return to Nevarro like everything's fine?" Aurelia shrieked. "Mando, it's a trap! The men who hired you...they just want the kid!"

"I'm well aware of that," the bounty hunter said in a dangerously low tone. "I don't have any other choice."

Aurelia opened her mouth to protest again but Mando gripped her shoulders tight and set her down in one of the cockpit seats.

"Listen to me. We go to Nevarro. We kill the Imp that put a bounty out on the kid in the first place. Karga gets control of his city again, my name no longer has a bounty attached to it. Got it?"

  
"You make it sound so overly simple. You're okay with using the kid as bait? Mando, Karga said the number of enemy troops stationed in his city has multiplied at this point." Absentmindedly, she tightened her hold on The Child.

Mando sighed heavily and turned his back to them. He began punching in coordinates to a distant planet, one that wasn't Nevarro.

"Of course I'm not okay with it. I hate that I'm even considering the idea, but it's not like we have much of a choice. We need more than just the two of us though to have a shot at pulling this off. I need to pay a visit to someone and call in a favor."

The Crest launched into hyperspace. Streaks of white and multiple shades of blue coated the cockpit's windows with brilliant flashes of light bouncing off the Mandalorian's polished armor. Mando swiveled around in his chair to come face to face with Aurelia. Her eyebrows were furrowed in frustration and concern over the lucrative idea of returning to the same planet where Mando had caused such a ruckus over the foundling.

"We're going to Sorgan," he began. "There's an ex-dropper who's living there who I believe can be a vital asset to this mission. She's a strong warrior. Trust in her as you do me, and we'll get through this just fine."

Aurelia remained silent, her grip still tight on The Child in a protective manner.

"I need to make sure your head is in the right place for this," Mando said gingerly. "You haven't seemed like yourself since we left Mos Espa. You're on edge, and I know it has to do with that man back on Tattooine."

The Child glanced up at her, his head tilting from side to side as he gauged her expression with curiosity of his own etched into his wrinkled little features. Aurelia smiled gently and rubbed the tips of one of his oversized ears between the tips of her fingers. She avoided eye contact with Mando, who was undoubtedly give her his full, undivided attention.

"Mando, it doesn't matter anymore. He's dead."

"Then why do you still hide your face?"

"Why do you?!" She shouted angrily. The infant in her arms hiccuped out of fear from her sudden outburst, his thin lips forming into deep frown. Even Mando couldn't help but recoil away from the sudden, uncharacteristic spurt of anger sent his way.

"It's my creed, and the way of my people," Mando said defensively.

Aurelia comfortingly patted The Child in an apologetic manner. "You have your reasons, and I have mine."

Mando was bothered by her response but did his best to hide his annoyance. He didn't know why he was so irritated with her secrecy. The annoyance he felt at her came full circle and reflected on him. He was aggravated at his curiosity, aggravated that it made him look like the biggest hypocrite in all the galaxy. He didn't show his face and he wanted people to respect that. Mando despised when others tried to remove his helmet. It bothered him when people would play guessing games as to what he looked like under all the layers of clothing and beskar armor. So why, why couldn't he accept the fact that he was put in their position for once? He never had these thoughts when he was around the other Mandalorian back on Nevarro, but perhaps that was because they were all on the same page and shared the same reason for remaining hidden from the world. They had that mutual respect for why they followed the rules that they did. Aurelia was an exception. He needed to respect her boundaries, Maker, he knew this with all his being. But still, it frustrated him all the times he would catch a glimpse of her from behind with her scarf obviously draped over her shoulders when she was feeding The Child each morning or kissed his forehead goodnight when she laid him down for bed.

"There is much history rooted in your culture, Mando," Aurelia began in a hushed tone. "If people knew what it meant to be a Mandalorian, perhaps they would be more understanding. The same goes for me, and why I am the way I am. I suppose...I could enlighten you. You did help me out of that stupid yet unforeseen scenario I put myself in. It's only fair you know just who exactly that person was."

Mando waited patiently for her to continue.

"Darro was...a bit of a troublemaker in Mos Espa. He butted heads with my father constantly, who along with his group of local soldiers, did his best to limit some of the trouble that would pop up around town. When he and the others passed, Darro was ecstatic. He himself had a few friends who would commit small, petty crimes and robberies now and then. Around the time my mother passed, the intensity of his crimes had escalated and become more malevolent."

Aurelia released her hold on The Child's ears and tucked her knees up to her chest. She stared down at the floor, seemingly ashamed at the rest of her explanation that was to come. She was doing her best to avoid looking at the Mandalorian and infant both watching her closely. Mando knew she was growing more and more uncomfortable the more information she shared about herself. His stoic, hardened beskar exterior created the image of an infallible, uncaring warrior in people's minds. Underneath, Mando's human curiosities were brewing and he hung on every word of her story, ashamedly desperate for more.

"One night, while I slept, he broke in and took me from my home. Mom was gone maybe not even a week at this point. It was as if he was waiting for her to go before making a move. I...lived with him for a few years. I...I don't even know how long it was, truly I don't. Every day dragged on and on and eventually I lost count. He brought home two more women throughout our time together. He didn't treat them as nice as he treated me. He said...I was his favorite."

Aurelia dug her fingertips into her legs and shrank down even more on the cot. Her body trembled in both anger and sadness at the recollection of her years spent, no, wasted, with such a vile man. A brief wave of hysteria and panic crashed over her and her brain felt it was on fire. She sat unmoving for a minute or two, trying desperately to collect her train of thought. She didn't even know she was holding her breath until she exhaled sharply before continuing, her voice sounding strained while she spoke, both her mind and mouth on autopilot at this point.

"The others and I made plans to escape. It wasn't the first time I had tried to myself, but I figured with the help of the others, maybe we all had a chance. We were pretty successful until he called the mastiffs on us. I knew he wouldn't let them kill me, so I stayed behind to distract them." Her gaze down at the floor was completely empty and blank, her mind deep in thought as she replayed the events of years prior through in her head, narrating them out loud for Mando. "Darro was mad. So, so mad. He called all of his friends over, told them he had something he wanted to show them. He told me he had to teach me a lesson, and they were going to watch."

Aurelia buried her head down in her knees. "He said I wasn't his favorite anymore after that. He said...he was going to take me to Arvala-7. There were some farms I could work on that needed help tending to. Not long after we landed, and while Darro was out looking for someone to sell me to, I ran."

She lifted her head up and smiled. A few tears were brimming in her eyes but she refused to let them fall. She laughed. "I killed them, his friends that is. Maker, I killed them good. I wish I had gotten him too that night, but he finally got what he deserved."

She let out another chuckle and shook her head, lost deep in her feelings of blood lust and revenge. Mando fidgeted nervously in his chair. His mind went back to what snide comment Mayfeld made weeks ago once he noticed what she was.

_I'm surprised she hasn't taken you out in your sleep already. You must have her trained pretty well._

Mando didn't even notice she was staring deep into the black tint of his visor. "You must hate me now," she mused darkly. "You must think I'm some kind of homicidal, unstable-"

"No," Mando cut her off. "Don't ever go there. You did what you had to do."

She watched him uneasily. Kriff, what he wouldn't give to see the lower part of her face, to read her expression and get the slightest idea of what she was thinking for once. He wanted to reach out and pull down that blasted scarf, to throw it away and see what she was so scared of showing to others. He wanted...he wanted to look at her, to tell her it was okay, to let her know he wouldn't dare do what that man did, to touch her-

"I stumbled upon Kuiil's farm after wandering the desert for a few days," she interrupted his wandering mind. "He took me in, showed me how to fix a ship so I could get back to Tattooine. I wasn't going anywhere near Mos Espa for a while, so I settled in Mos Entha. It was...safer there. I learned how to defend myself should Darro ever come back. And now...here we are."

She reached over to lovingly pat The Child on the top of his head. He cooed in response and stretched his short arms out, signaling for her to hold him. Aurelia stretched her legs out and sat him in her lap, cradling the loving, innocent creature tight in her arms close to her chest. Mando watched the warmth flood back into her honey golden orbs. He was in awe at her strength and how she still had compassion in her heart, even if it took some digging to reach it. He couldn't stop his hand from reaching out and gently wrapping around her arm, stopping her in her tracks when she stood to announce she was going to go feed The Child. His heart sank to the level of his boots when he felt her muscles flinch beneath his gloved fingertips from his touch. He didn't even notice the involuntarily, pained hiss that slipped past his helmet when he extended his arm out.

"Y-you're hurt," she whispered.

Mando looked over his shoulder towards the small gash on his back. "It's nothing. It happened during my search for the quarry. Wait, don't bother yourself over it-"

His head hung low and a heavy sigh passed his lips when Aurelia dismissed his protest to push past him and grab one of their newly acquired bacta patches. She set the foundling back down on the co-pilot's chair, shushing him gently when he whined in protest over the false promise of being fed.

"Let me take care of your dad first, kid. You always act like you haven't eaten in a millennia." Her slender fingers pulled back Mando's cape and tossed it over his uninjured shoulder.

"You're making a bigger deal out of this than you need to," Mando grumbled. He grunted and silenced himself when a sturdy hand pushed his helmet down in protest.

"It's my job to make things more difficult for you," Aurelia sighed sarcastically.

"That's the exactly opposite reason of why I went looking for you to begin with."

"Then take me back."

Mando lifted his head back up and peered over his shoulder in attempt to get a look at his crew member. Something in her voice didn't fully sound like she was joking. It wasn't a serious request, more like a statement to gauge what his stance was on her staying. Her face was just out of his view but he could she her hands hovering over his back, unmoving while she waited for his response.

Mando looked forward and ducked his head back towards the ground. "I-I couldn't...The uhh...the kid wouldn't let me live it down."

Aurelia felt a steady warmth blossom in her cheeks. Not trusting her words, she merely hummed in response and continued her evaluation of Mando's injury. "I...can't get a good look underneath all this," she said tapping on his armor. "I need to raise your flight suit up. I don't know if...you're okay...with that."

Mando kept his head down low, his palms growing a little sweatier underneath the leather of his gloves out of nervousness.

"It's okay," Aurelia began stepping backwards, "I can figure something else ou-"

"Close your eyes," Mando demanded. When no answer came from the girl behind him, he looked over in her direction. She stood there with the bacta patch in hand, her unblinking stare meeting his with uncertainty. "Close them, and don't look," he repeated a little more forcefully.

Aurelia scooped The Child up and turned around so neither were facing the Mandalorian. She closed her eyes and placed a hand over the infant's as well for good measure.

Mando set his helmet down between his feet with a heavy thump. The audible sound of more beskar armor hitting the floor met Aurelia's ears when his steel pauldrons and chest plate followed. There was a rustling of fabric and worn leather of the pilot's seat creaked beneath his weight. Aurelia anxiously held her breath the entire time until all the movement behind her had stopped. Mando scooped up his helmet and placed it back over his head.

"You can turn around," his strong voice wavered slightly through the vocoder.

Aurelia wasn't expecting the sight of beautiful bronzed skin that befell her eyes when she turned back around. Her knees almost buckled and she nearly dropped The Child from shock at the sight. Her eyes raked over the occasional scarring that left little streaks and pathways over his tanned skin. His muscles twitched uneasily under the intensity her stare.

"Something wrong?" Mando asked. He tried but brush away the bit of insecurity that had began to flood his mind.

"Not at all. In fact, this honestly doesn't look bad...at all," Aurelia marveled. She grabbed the patch and removed it from its plastic wrapping. His back straightened when he felt the cool adhesive draped across the wound and he sighed once the stinging sensation had begin to dissipate. Mando's breath caught in his throat and his fingers gripped around his knees when he felt the tips of her fingers gently smooth out the patch and adhere it to his skin. He cursed the Maker when a noticeable gasp befell both their ears when her skin made contact with his. "Did I hurt you?"

He wanted to tell her she could never. Stars, what was this feeling that was brewing deep in his chest? Was this the bacta? Yeah, yeah it had to be. Maybe there was something extra potent about it. Maybe that's why it was a bit pricier than normal. Yeah, that's it. It was just a medicinal high. One that made his heart race faster than normal, his knees weak, his hands sweat, and his breathing heavier.

"No," was all he could manage to tell her. He scrambled to reach down to pick up his clothes and armor at his feet. When he stood up and faced her, she did her best not to allow her eyes to wander over the rest of him.

"Thank you. Take care of the kid and get some sleep before we reach Sorgan."

Mando didn't give her any chance to reply before he dropped down the ladder and sealed himself away in the refresher.

* * *

Aurelia couldn't help but gasp when she took in the vast expanse of trees, marshes, and overall vibrant green vegetation that littered the surface of the lush planet. Any time she paid a visit to a non-desert biome planet, her heart would skip a beat and she grew easily distracted by every creature, plant, or body of water she came into contact with.

Mando glanced down at the younger woman who was paralyzed in awe at the top of the ship's ramp. "Pretty, isn't it?"

"Maker, it's beautiful here," Aurelia commented.

"The kid and I lived here for several weeks right after we initially left Nevarro," Mando ushered her gently down the ramp to head in the direction of the village he knew his friend would be residing in. "It was nice living amongst the locals. They welcomed us with open arms. The Child made lots of friends. Everything seemed...normal for once."

Aurelia noticed the hint of sadness and longing in Mando's voice. "Why did you leave?" She asked hesitantly.

"The Guild found us eventually. We were putting everyone at risk by staying here. They won't rest until I'm dead and they have the kid. All the more reason why we need to finish this," Mando answered.

They continued walking down a faint dirt path that was formed in the grassy forest floor. It wasn't long before the thickening of trees began to clear, and village huts began to become more pronounced in the breaks between each massive tree trunk. Eventually the cluster of trees had dispersed entirely, paving way to a hidden marshland with huts scattered about along with patches of tilled land and sprouting crops. It was a relatively quiet, peaceful looking town. A few groups of children ran in between some of the tall strands of grass nearby, giggling and running around in an innocent game of tag. A few of their parents looked on happily, alternating between watching the children at play and busying themselves with plucking baskets of krill from the standing water or tending to the growing vegetables. It had been a while since Aurelia had seen such a tranquil town, if she had ever seen one at all.

"I bet you two loved it here. It's a shame you had to leave," she sadly told the Mandalorian.

He didn't answer her but instead directed her to a larger building off to the side of the others. The closer they got to the entrance, the louder sounds of cheering and applause had gotten. Mando gently pushed Aurelia to an open table in the corner of a large common house dining area. They took their seats with The Child sitting on Aurelia's lap and watched the entertaining spectacle unfolding in the center of the room. A broad, muscular Zabrak man was engaging in a tethered boxing match with an equally strong, if not stronger, looking woman. The crowd whistled and cheered as the two contenders tussled, the man finally becoming entangled in the tether and succumbing to the female warrior. He tapped out and the laser tether dissolved between the pair, a few moans and groans along with loud cheers from gambling victors filling the air. The woman partaking in the fight caught a glimpse of the beskar wearing bounty hunter humorously watching her from a far. He motioned towards an empty seat situated across from him at the table. She willingly joined the group at their table, a large, pearly white smile stretching across her strong features when she caught sight of her companion.

"Looking for some work?" He mused at the sight of the handful of her victory spoils being set down on the table top next to her. She laughed and slipped the growing pile of credits into her coin bag. A waitress came by and poured three glasses of spotchka; both women at the table took their glasses in hand with the unintroduced friend of Mando's watching Aurelia curiously when she turned her head to the side to drink from her glass discretely.

"That depends on what you're offering." The woman nodded towards the smaller female seated across from her. "You haven't introduced me to your new friend here either, Mando."

The hunter fidgeted nervously for a brief moment. He had no idea how Aurelia wanted to be addressed.

"This is my pilot. She's been watching over the kid and taking care of the ship when I'm not able to. She's saved my neck a couple of times out there too," Mando answered casually. Aurelia tried her best not to shrink down and stare at the floor from the unwanted attention.

"Does she have a name? She looks like she's hiding a few secrets just like you," the woman smiled and raised her eyebrow jokingly from behind another sip of spotchka.

"Tajana," Aurelia spoke up. She caught Mando's subtle glance in her direction when he picked up on the use of her fake name. She ignored him and extended her hand out for a proper introduction.

"Cara Dune," the other woman smiled once more. "Nice to meet you. I'm glad Mando has someone looking out for him and the kid, for once."

The subtle sound of a throat being cleared underneath a certain beskar helmet brought their attention back to the task at hand.

"The job..." Mando said flatly.

"Well get on with it," Cara pushed.

"We're heading back to Nevarro," he explained. "There's a man there who runs Guild operations, Greef Karga. He's the one who introduced me to the warlord who hired me to find the kid. Karga needs the man who hired me, out of there. He's stirring up too much trouble with all his toops stationed throughout the city. Getting rid of him means the kid and I are off the wanted list, and Karga gets his control over the city back. It seems like a straightforward operation. They're providing the plan and firepower, I'm the snare."

Cara's expression hardened, her eyebrows furrowing. "...but?

"I need more back up. A- Tajana and I can't do this ourselves. I need her to fight with me, if it comes to it, and I need you as well. You're a soldier, a veteran. We could use you. The reward for you time would be a generous one. You could come back here, retire, and live worry free."

Cara smiled and shook her head. She swirled the bright blue spotchka around in her glass, eyeing its contents thoughtfully before downing the remaining drops. "I'm already free of worry. And I'm not in the mood to play soldier anymore. Especially fighting some local warlord."  
Mando leaned in closer to her from across the table. "He's not a local warlord. He's Imperial."

Aurelia shifted in her seat, her grasp on her glass tightening out of a sudden surge of anger. The Empire had taken so much from her and affected the lives of so many others. Sure it ceased to exist anymore, but if she was able to snuff out the remaining, slow-burning flames that tried to reignite in its name, she would gladly do so. This was her way of following in her father's footsteps. He wasn't around to see the fighter she turned into, but for her own consolation, she would take down what remained of the Empire in his name.

Cara seemed to take an interest in the way the tables had turned in her own personal favor. The look of sudden interest that rooted itself in her expression, told Aurelia she had much revenge to dish out herself against the Empire herself. Mando knew what he was doing and what cards to play so both he and Cara could get what they wanted.  
The shock trooper veteran placed a few of her winning credits on the table as a payment and tip for their beverages. She reached across the table to finish off the beverage that Mando left untouched. Raising the empty glass in the bounty hunter's direction, she smiled wide and winked at the Mandalorian.

"I'm in."

* * *

"Set a course for Nevarro, will you? Then come back down when you're finished so we can go over everything that needs to be done." Mando quietly asked Aurelia when the three, plus The Child, boarded the Razor Crest. She wordlessly nodded in response and hiked up the ladder with the foundling clutching tightly to her in one hand. Mando watched her disappear from sight and shut the cockpit door behind her before he turned to open the weapons cabinet. He motioned for Cara to choose a firearm to bring along with them, save for Aurelia's personal blaster rifle hanging off to side.

"You wanna tell me what's going on here?" Cara chuckled.

"What are you talking about?" Mando asked.

"Did you pick up another lost soul along the way?"

"You mean Tajana?"

Cara smirked and toyed with the firearm in her hand before placing it back on the rack and choosing a new one. "That's not her real name, is it?"  
She took Mando's silence as a definitive yes. "So what's the story with her? Or is it not my business to ask?"

"She's just someone I hired to help out around here. An Ugnaught I met during my search for the kid specifically recommended her services."

"Her services?" Cara mused.

"Kriff, not like that," Mando swore harshly. "She does a good job taking care of the kid and the ship."  
Cara hummed in response. Her subtle smirk and quick raise of her eyebrows gave away the fact that she didn't really believe the Mandalorian, but she wouldn't tell him about how she noticed the way he stole extra, unnecessary glances at his crew member now and then when she wasn't paying attention. She continued sorting through the weapons vault, Mando watching her settle on a blaster and pocket a grenade or two. A few footsteps overhead and down the metal rungs of the ladder brought his attention to the petite woman joining them in the cramped space.

"Is he alright up there alone?" Cara asked cautiously.

Aurelia shrugged. "I gave him something to snack on while we finish up down here but he won't stay entertained for long." She turned to climb back to the ladder but Mando placed his hand on her shoulder to get her to stay in place.

"Just stay, he'll be fine."

Cara pursed her lips together to fight off the small growing grin that threatened to break through when Mando's hand lingered a second too long on Aurelia's shoulder.

"You trust the contact?" She asked, trying to remain strictly business.

"Not particularly," Mando replied. "He and I had a run-in last time I was there on some Guild business. I thought I had disposed of him. Looks like I was wrong."

"Why are we going then?"

"I don't have a choice. You saw what happened on Sorgan. They'll keep sending hunters. The kid'll never be safe until the Imp is dead."

"What will happen once he's gone?" Aurelia asked.

Mando shrugged. "I dunno. Anything beats running from planet to planet all the time. Maybe then we could finally settle down some place, raise him properly. I know being on the run isn't what you signed up for, either."

"You wouldn't be needing me then if you were able to watch him, nor would you need to to pilot your ship if you find a planet to reside on. Maybe you could finally return to Sorgan. You said he was happy there. Both of you were." Aurelia told him.

Mando's head snapped in her direction. The thought of him not needing her never really crossed his mind. He couldn't read her body language or expression to see how she felt about the manner. Dank farrik, if he could just rip that scarf away...

"Are you okay with bringing him back there and doing this?" Cara asked softly. Mando wasn't sure what exactly she meant asking that question. Was she subtly asking if he was okay giving up the hellish lifestyle of being a wanted man, all for the sake of wanting to keep Aurelia's company? The delicate tone in her voice and empathy in her gaze made him think so. Or, was she asking if he was comfortable bringing The Child back to the people who wanted him brought back so Maker knows what would be done to him? For professionalism sake, Mando dissuaded her possible more personal intent she had for asking such a question. He settled on giving her a generalized answer that would settle whatever curiosities she had.

"No, not really. I don't feel good about this at all, especially in terms with how badly this could go. That's why I needed your help."  
As soon as Cara nodded in response, the Crest took a sharp nose dive. The three soldiers clung to the walls to balance themselves while the Crest banked and bucked from side to side, up and down erratically.

Mando climbed up the ladder with the other two following closely behind once they gained their footing. Ripping back the cockpit door, they were greeted with the sight of the kid latched onto the ship's centre stick, jerking it in every which way. The Mandalorian hastily pried the giggling infant away from the control panel. Aurelia leveled the Crest's into a more steady, straightforward flight pattern.

"We're gonna need someone to watch that thing," Cara sighed. "You have someone you can trust?"

"Peli?" Aurelia turned to asked the bounty hunter.

Mando shook his head in response. "Tattooine's too far and out of the way at this point. I have someone else in mind, someone who wouldn't mind your company either."  
He sat himself down in front of the navigation panel. Aurelia glanced over his broad, armored shoulders to try to catch a sneak peek to see just where he was directing the Crest to. She had a small inkling on just who he was referring to, and her suspicions were confirmed with a happy sweltering of her heart when she saw the Mandalorian typing in the coordinates for Arvala-7.

* * *

The autopilot feature of the Crest landed them next to a decently sized house on a vast expanse of dry, desert land. The sun was beginning to set on the arid planet. Aurelia eagerly glanced out the window of the cockpit to peer down at the familiar patch of land the ship was descending down upon. The streaks of remaining sunlight cast down on a few blurrgs who had turned their attention to the incoming vessel, the unproportional creatures letting out strained barks and growls the closer the Crest got to making landfall. An Ugnaught hobbled out from out of the living quarters and waved up at the ship once he realized who it belonged to.  
Aurelia couldn't help but push past Cara and Mando once the ramp to the Crest had been lowered. She stopped in front of the Ugnaught who had frozen in place when he caught sight of the raven haired woman.

"Kuiil," Aurelia choked out, fighting a few tears that had formed along her lash lines. Mando watched in surprise at the emotional vulnerability the typically closed off crew member of his was expressing. He knew Kuiil had taken her in and helped her out a great deal after she managed to escape from Darro but stars, he had a greater impact on her than he had imagined.

"It's been a very long time hasn't it?" Kuiil smiled.

A mixture of a laugh and stifled sob passed Aurelia's lips. She continued forward and dropped to her knees, reaching down to hug the kindhearted man who took her in years ago.

"I trust he is treating you and The Child well?" Kuiil motioned to the approaching Mandalorian.

"He's kind to us both," Aurelia chuckled.

"I suppose I should thank you for the recommendation of searching for her," Mando directed to the Ugnaught. "Although stubborn at times, she's done well in looking after The Child and myself."

"I knew she would. Though it is hard to get through to, her heart is always in the right place." Kuiil turned to hobble back towards the direction of his home. "Now come, it's rude of me to keep you out here when there is much we have to discuss."

* * *

The group of travelers stooped down to enter Kuiil's surprisingly spacious, though low ceiling, house.

"It hasn't grown much," Kuiil remarked after eyeing The Child.

Mando nodded in agreement. "I think it might be a strand-cast."

"You mean like a...bio-engineered creature?" Aurelia wondered aloud.

"I don't think it was engineered," Kuiil disregarded. "I've worked in the gene farms. This one looks evolved, too ugly. This one on the other hand, looks like she was farmed in the Cytocaves of Nora."

Cara beamed at the Ugnaught's compliment.

"This is Cara Dune. She was a shock trooper," Mando introduced.

"You were a dropper?" Kuiil asked.

Cara tilted her head to the side curiously. "Did you serve?"

"On the other side, I'm afraid. But I'm proud to say that I paid out my clan's debt and now I serve no one but myself."

Aurelia glanced sadly at Kuiil, her heart heavy at the mention of his servitude. He was such a kind hearted, patient man. He called himself free but the level of generosity he showed to others and just how far he would go to someone, would make anyone think otherwise. The only difference is that Kuiil gave himself selflessly to helping those who needed it on his own freewill. In the corner of her eye, Aurelia couldn't help but notice the frown that kept across Cara's face at learning how the Ugnaught worked alongside the Empire.

The growing tension in the air between Cara and Kuiil was interrupted by another presence stepping foot into the room everyone was lounging around in. An IG unit stepped forth with a tray full of beverages in hand. All except Kuiil jumped and drew their blasters at its sudden appearance. Mando growled protectively and moved to stand in front of Aurelia and the foundling when he recognized the droid as one he had a previously had run in with during his initial hunt for The Child.

"Please lower your blasters. He will not harm you," Kuiil begged.

"That thing is programmed to kill the baby," Mando sneered.

"No, not anymore." Kuiil rose from his seat to stand alongside the droid. "After you departed with The Child, I traveled to the camp where your battle for him had been fought. Upon searching the remains of what hadn't been destroyed by your endeavors, I found this droid. Much effort went into reconstructing it and working with it to help it gain its mobility and functionality back. It was not an easy task, as it had to learn everything from scratch. I spent day after day reinforcing its development with patience and affirmation. It developed a personality as its experiences grew."

"It seems you seem to have a knack for rehabilitation and providing aid to those who need it," Aurelia smiled. Despite Mando's warning glare he was casting from behind his visor, she joined Cara in reaching out to take a cup from the droid's drink tray.

"Is it still a hunter?" Mando asked warily.

Kuiil shook his head and patted the droid in a prideful manner, obviously satisfied with both his handiwork and the chivalry of the IG unit.

* * *

As time continued to pass on Arvala-7, Kuiil opened what available space he had in his home to the weary travelers. Mando and The Child made their way back to the Crest with Cara occupying one of the spare rooms Kuiil had to offer. Aurelia wandered around the Ugnaught's property, petting the blurrgs that watched her from the comfort of their spacious pen. She took a seat next to the moisture farmer who was seated comfortably around a moderately sized fire several feet from his home.

"You've changed quite a bit since I've last seen you," Kuiil said earnestly. He passed a cup of tea to Aurelia, eyeing her carefully in the glow of the fire crackling outside his home. The pair sat comfortably near the warm flames despite the surrounding chill of the bone dry environment. The sun had set completely on the moisture farm, basking the bare landscape in a curtain of pitch black darkness save for the bright stars looming overhead. Even the vast array of twinkling speckles in the galaxy overhead couldn't penetrate through the intensity of the night sky to illuminate Kuiil and Aurelia while they sat alone in each other's missed company.

Aurelia smiled at the steaming herbal beverage situated in between her palms. "Much has happened these past few years, many good things as well. I hope it's been the same for you."

Kuiil sat thoughtfully for a moment with his own tea in hand. "It has, yes. I've finally found peace here. The Mandalorian has aided in this as well by ridding the valley of those who kept The Child captive."

Kuiil took a sip before staring hard at the woman in his company. "He is a good man."

Aurelia glanced at the Ugnaught who was watching her intently. The strength of his gaze made her redirect her stare into the fire pit.

"He seems to have changed as well since I last saw him. He's become more patient, less tense and closed off. Perhaps this is from him taking care of The Child. Perhaps it is from you as well."

"That's nonsense, Kuiil," Aurelia laughed, playing off his commentary.

"I have spoken," he said sternly, raising his cup to take one more sip.

Aurelia smiled to herself and shook her head at the man's inaccurate observation. Mando was her employer. He was a battle hardened, deadly hunter. The only thing that made him remotely softer was that he now had a kid to look after. It's highly possible that that little seed of loving, nurturing qualities about him had always been there, but the only thing that made it take root and grow was The Child, not her.

Aurelia slipped her fingers between the thick layers of her dust covered scarf. Pulling the long trail of fabric down and away from her neck, she breathed in the bittersweet scent of brewed tea leaves.

"All those years together, you never asked any questions you thought I wouldn't feel comfortable answering," Aurelia told the Ugnaught. Kuiil looked over her with a sad smile. "I have a faint idea of the hardships you must of been through. Even then, your story is different than mine, and I will never know exactly what you experienced in captivity. It was not my place to question your history, only to help you write a new one."

"And you did. I have much to thank you for. When I left here, the people of Tattooine called me Tajana, but my real name is Aurelia. The Mandalorian knows this, and now you do as well."

Kuiil smiled. "It is an honor to have you confide in me with such a secret. Has he seen your face as well?"

Aurelia shook her head. "No."

"Is there a reason for this?"

She frowned and looked away from her long-lost companion. "I've shown you because I trust you. You understand the burden that comes with the past of indentured servitude. We've done things we aren't proud of. I look this way because I helped free the others I was with. Though it's not something I should be ashamed of, I still am. When I look at myself, I see nothing but weakness and struggle. I'm reminded of all that I lost."

"Do you not trust The Mandalorian?" Kuiil asked.

Aurelia hesitated before answering. "I do with my life."

"The Mandalorian of all people should be the most understanding of the struggles of revealing yourself to the public. It is a burden to hide your face for so long. I'm sure he has done so since he himself was a child sworn into his creed. To gaze upon the face of another who is in hiding as well, he knows how much of a significant blessing it would be."

Aurelia looked at Kuuil uneasily. "I have spoken," he told her once more, and stood to retire in his hut for the remainder of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know I said this chapter would be the longest, which it was supposed to be. With what I have written so far, I was approaching 15k this chapter with it only about halfway done. In order to not go another almost week and a half without posting, I had to break it up.  
> Good news is I have some of the next chapter written, AND I'm spending all day tomorrow writing after a 50+ hour work week and classes last week. That's why I was slacking, I'm sorry :( (that and every time I started writing when I got home, I fell asleep ok...)


	8. Redemption

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: mentions of slavery/captivity and murder
> 
> selenium-drive.tumblr.com

Aurelia sat around the fire pit until the flames had been reduced to dying flickers of red and orange weakly poking out from the cracks of charred wood. Once the fire had extinguished itself, the cold chill of the desert during twilight hours started to penetrate through her clothing. Her mind was simultaneously tired and frantically racing when she boarded the Razor Crest. The ship appeared empty on the lower level save for the infant sleeping peacefully in a makeshift hammock Mando had constructed and hung over the empty cot. Aurelia tiptoed up the ladder and peeked through the cracked door of the cockpit. The Mandalorian was sprawled out in one of the chairs getting so much needed sleep. His head was angled down and off to the side, the sound of a few faint snores passing through his modulator.

It was rather difficult for her to get much sleep that night. Her mind kept waking her up every so often to replay the conversation she had with Kuiil over and over until the brighter shades of purple and pink sunrise had begun to peak over the horizon. Annoyed with her inability to settle the thoughts running rampant in her head, she left the Crest and wandered over to the fenced in portion of property containing Kuiil's blurrgs. The misshapen creatures acknowledged her presence with a few snorts before turning their attention to the droid who was occupied with preparing the meal to be dumped in their feeding trough.

"You are up early," the IG unit remarked.

Aurelia shrugged. "I couldn't sleep well. There's a lot to be done before we leave today."

"Something weighs heavily on your mind. I can hear it in your voice."

"Nonsense," she rolled her eyes.

"Is it your love for the Mandalorian?" The droid deadpanned, setting the empty bucket of feed down.

"You wanna repeat that?"

"That was intended to be a joke but from my evaluation of your tone I do not think that was something you found funny."

_"You think?"_

"I did not mean to offend. Your love for him is none of my business."

"I don't love him! I just for work him!" Aurelia exclaimed.

"If you say so," IG shrugged nonchalantly as best as its stiff robotic limbs would let it. The droid carried the metal feed bucket off to be washed, leaving Aurelia fuming alongside the ravenous blurrgs. Stars, if Kuill hadn't poured every ounce of his being into this IG unit, it would of been reduced to a pile of smoking scrap metal by now.

* * *

Fatigue was beginning to set in for Aurelia after a long night of conversing with numerous people, including this morning's short-lived but lively banter from Kuiil's new nurse droid. She dragged her feet up the Crest's ramp, eager to take a quick shower and try to squeeze in at least an hour of sleep before they had to pack for Nevarro. Her mind in a haze and deep in thought, Aurelia didn't notice the great wall of beskar rounding the corner leading out if the ship at the same time she was going in.

"Pardon me," she apologized, sidestepping out of Mando's way.

"What's the rush?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her obviously distracted state.

She chewed on the inside of her lip nervously, thanking the stars that her scarf covered the beginnings of a faint blush when her wandering mind traveled back to her bickering with the droid. There was no way she was beginning to feel anything for the Mandalorian.

"Nothing, I just want to get some sleep before we have to take off again," she told him rather truthfully.

"Did you not come to bed last night?"

She nearly choked on her own saliva. "Excuse me?"

Mando eyed her curiously. "I know you were catching up with the Ugnaught last night. I wasn't sure if you came back to the ship or not right after."

"I mean I did and I tried to sleep, but no, I couldn't. I guess I'm just worried about the mission."

"Don't be," Mando said. "There's a lot we still have to work out, but it's nothing we can't handle. That reminds me, I need to talk to Kuill about something."

"Like what?" Aurelia asked a little too apprehensively.

"Like asking him to join us?" Mando answered, his confusion making his statement come out sounding more like a question.

"Right, right. Yeah. You do that."

The hunter said nothing in response to her increasingly odd behavior. He turned slowly and continued down the Crest's ramp, shaking his head at the strange woman.

* * *

"I've run into some problems," Mando announced when he approached Kuiil surveying his pen full of blurrgs.

"I figured as much. Why else would you return?" The farmer asked half seriously and half rhetorically.

The Mandalorian decided to give him a genuine answer regardless. There was no other way to put it, so he figured he would come out and say it despite Kuiil's prior declined job offer. "I want to hire your services."

"I'm retired from service," the smaller man answered, giving Mando the same answer as last time they were in each other's company.

"I can pay you handsomely, Ugnaught."

"I have a name. It is Kuiil."

"I need someone to protect the little one, Kuiil. Someone besides the girl. She's good in combat, and that's not something I can't let go to waste on this next job. I need her fighting alongside me."

"If it is protection you seek, I'm not suited for such work," Kuiil further refused. "I can reprogram IG-11 for nursing and protocol."

"No!" Mando nearly shouted. "I don't want that droid anywhere near him."

"Why are you so distrustful of droids?"

"It tried to kill him."

"It was programmed to do so. Droids are not good or bad. They are neutral reflections of those who imprint them."

Mando's jaw clenched beneath the cover of his helmet. "I've seen otherwise."

"Do you trust me?" Kuiil asked seemingly out of the blue.

"From what I can tell, yes. Otherwise, I wouldn't have gone after Aurelia like you recommended did me to do so."

"And does she care well for you and The Child?"

"Of course she does."

"Then you will trust in my work the same. IG-11 will join me, and we do it not for payment, but to protect The Child from Imperial slavery. Aurelia as well. Yes, she has told me her name," he added when he noticed the way the hunter recoiled from surprise. "I cannot allow for her to be treated in such a way again. Due to her family's history of interfering with Imperial affairs, if anyone associated with the Empire obtains her knowing who she is, she will either be killed on the spot, or worse. The livelihood of The Child is of import, but so is its caretaker. You must look after them both. None will be free until the old ways are gone. Forever."

Well when the moisture farmer had put it like that, it was a bit harder to argue with his logic. Although every instinctual part of his being was protesting against the idea of working with a droid willingly, especially one who tried to take out the baby, reprogrammed or not, Mando found he didn't have much room to argue any more. "Okay," he sighed defeatedly.

Kuiil smiled and nodded in agreement, happy that he was able to penetrate through the bounty hunter's thick beskar helmet and change his mind. "The blurrgs will join me as well."

"The blurrgs?" Mando asked slowly. The ever-growing odd behavior he was experiencing from people today was beginning to throw him for a loop.

* * *

The Crest was...a little cramped, to say the least, with everyone on board. Aurelia pitied the four blurrgs that were crammed behind the netting in the ship's cargo hold. Blurrgs were oddly compact creatures but still, shoving them tightly together with not much wiggle room made feel sorry for them. Luckily they didn't seem to mind as long as they were with their moisture farmer caretaker. The Ugnaught slipped them treats now and then through the netting to calm them when they had begun to get too rowdy. For most of the journey, Aurelia wandered the Crest with the IG unit. It helped her make repairs in parts of the ship that were too tight for her to get to and reattach wires in points that were just past the lengths what her fingertips could reach.

"Don't tell Mando I had your help working on his ship," Aurelia chuckled. "He'd feed me to a sarlaac in a heartbeat."

"That sounds most unpleasant. I do not think he would do that to you, though I still will not say anything. If he did find out, I am sure his fondness of you would regretfully diminish."

"Fondness of me?" She laughed. "IG, I told you, I'm just here to look after his kid."

The droid stared at her awkwardly. "Yes, of course."

The shuffling of frantic footsteps followed by panicked shouting below caught the pair's attention. Aurelia ran past the bounty droid and dropped down the ladder, observing an erratic Cara forcefully pointing a finger at The Child held tight in Mando's hands. Her other hand was clutched around her throat, her eyes watering and a few wheezing coughs escaping her periodically.

"That is not okay!"

"What happened down here?" Aurelia questioned Mando, snatching the infant from his hands. Its large ears tucked to the side of his head in an act of bashfulness and it stared up at her with apologetic doe eyes.

"I-..." Mando seemed at a lost for words. Getting any information out of him seemed to be a lost cause.

"Kuiil?" Aurelia struggled to keep her voice leveled.

"Very curious..." was all the Ugnaught said.

Cara's temper flared. "Curious?! It almost killed me!"

Kuiil dismissed her anger and in turn addressed Mando. "The story you told me of the mudhorn now makes sense."

"What is it?" The Mandalorian asked.

"What it is, I don't know. But what it does, this, this I've heard rumors of."

"What? When you worked for the Empire?" Cara interjected snidely.

"When I was _sold_ to the Empire, in indentured servitude."

"Yet somehow, you walk free."

"Are you questioning this man's character?" Aurelia asked in a dangerously low tone. "Don't you dare speak of what you know nothing about."

"And what do you know about it?" Cara's eyes narrowed and the start of a cocky grin began to form from the corner of her mouth. Mando took a step towards Aurelia. He subtly shook his head in a desperate plea for her to back down. Her vibrant golden orbs narrowed, honed in on the black T-frame of his helmet in a threatening glare. She bit her tongue to keep from further lashing out.  
Kuill spoke up in her place. "I bought my freedom through the skill of my hands and the labor of three of your human lifetimes. Do not cast doubt upon that of what I am, nor whom I shall serve."

Mando grew uneasy at the increasing hostility between his comrades in such a small space. Even the blurrgs had begin to shift around in their half of the ship, especially once the IG unit had slipped down from the second level; once it made itself known, it crept up behind Kuiil to threateningly peer down at Cara out of protection toward its creator.

The Mandalorian did his best to dissipate the growing tension in the room. "I can really use your craftwork right now," he told the Ugnaught. "Can you pad this container so The Child can sleep better?"

Kuiil nodded. "I shall fabricate a better one. Then perhaps this dropper can see how one can win their freedom with the skill of one's hands. In fact, Tajana, would you care to join me? The work of two of our kind would be far better than one."

Aurelia jumped at the mention of her alias and the hidden meaning behind Kuiil's use of the words "our kind". Ohhh stars, why did he have to drop such an innuendo like that? She knew his intentions were not wicked. He was prideful in his ability to craft whatever he put his mind to and she was blessed that he passed along those skills to her, even if they were a mere fraction of what talent he possessed. His hint of Aurelia's past of servitude was not out of malice, but rather a subtle way of defending her from the commentary that came from the shock trooper. It didn't go unnoticed by Cara, who stood idly off to the side with hint of astonishment in her chocolate brown eyes.

"I am sorry if I revealed more information about you than you might be comfortable with," Kuiil apologized over the sound of sparking metal. "I let my emotions get the better of me for a moment. It was not my place to do so, especially after you confided some of your secrets in me."

"It's okay. I understand why you said such a thing," Aurelia raised her goggles to the top if her head to glance over at the moisture farmer. She smiled beneath her obtrusive scarf, the corners of her eyes crinkling and giving away the look of affection she gave her mentor. "I can't be mad at you for defending me."

"What was it that The Child did to cause all this anyways?" She asked.

"It possesses some...unnatural ability," Kuiil said slowly as if he himself were trying to understand it before he gave an explanation. "I've heard of a group of people who had such powers; they could freely manipulate objects and other creatures simply with minds. I've never known it to be true, until now. Has the Mandalorian not told you of The Child's abilities?"

Aurelia fiddled with her gloves to distract herself from the cold feeling developing in the pit of her stomach. "No, he hasn't."

A subtle glimmer of silver off to the side captured her attention. Mando joined the other two and The Child who cooed happily at the sight of its father. Mando reached down to pat his foundling on the head, then motioned for Aurelia to follow him to the opposite side of the Crest.

"Go," Kuill nodded towards the bounty hunter. "We are almost finished here. I will do the last few adjustments."

"It's coming along nicely," Mando commented, gesturing to Kuiil who was busy piecing together The Child's new bassinet. "Thank you for your help, you didn't have to do that."

"Keeps my mind busy. Gotta keep my head in the right place for the mission," Aurelia said slyly. Mando couldn't help but flinch at her sharp tongue.

"I'm sorry for what happened earlier, for what Cara said. She didn't know and it's not my place to tell her."

"I know that. I shouldn't expect you to apologize for someone else. You're right, she didn't know, and it's fine. Don't worry about it."

Honestly, Mando was expecting a bit more if an argument or more spiteful, witty banter coming from the pilot. He probably should be on his knees thanking the Maker that there wasn't an all out brawl that transpired between him and Aurelia or her and Cara but still, the fact that she essentially shut his concerns for her down so quickly and blatantly, made him feel more uneasy. The way that Aurelia wasn't making eye contact with him and not being her normal, assertive self, only harbored more feelings that something wasn't right with her. She seemed cut off and too dismissive. He thought he was making progress with her but here she was, reeling herself into a disassociated shell.

"I just wanted to make sure you were ok," Mando nudged her arm softly with the back of his gloved hand. She still didn't look at him.

He maneuvered past her and gripped the rungs of the ladder to begin ascending back to the cockpit. "We should be landing within the next two hours. Be careful out there please, the kid and I need you around."

With that, he left her alone next to the blurrgs in the cargo hold.

Up above in the cockpit, Cara sat in one of chairs off to the side of the center most seat.

"So we're going to Nevarro..." she trailed off when the Mandalorian walked past her.

Mando sat himself down and stared ahead at the swirling blue tones of hyperspace. "Have you ever been?"

"No. We lost all of our forces there. The city's dug in pretty deep. There's no cover when you drop in. Stayed in Empire control till the end of the war.

"The warlord we're taking out was an Imperial officer."

Cara leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms. "What station?"

The bounty hunter shrugged. "Hard to tell. No insignia anymore. I took out the safe house when I snatched the kid. More Imps have reinforced since."

"There's something more going on."

Mando swiveled around to face the dropper. Her stare gave away what she was thinking, even if she didn't voice her concern: _we're in way over our heads._

"Maybe," he said firmly. "We'll find out more when we land."

His posture became more rigid when the door slid back to reveal the IG unit that stopped by to greet them. "I am prepared to serve second meal. Would you care to be served here or below?"

Mando's eyes narrowed at the sight of the droid that interrupted his and Cara's conversation. His lip curled in displeasure underneath his helmet, his disdain evident when he spoke through the vocoder. "I'm not hungry."

"I do not believe this to be true," the droid countered. "Perhaps it would change your mind to know that the Kage woman was the one who prepared the meal. I do not understand the importance of the following message she wanted me to relay to you but here it is: it is soup."

The inside of the Mandalorian's helmet suddenly felt flushed with more heat than before. His hands twitched before clenching the leather fabric tightly. Cara tried to suppress a chuckle at the bit of a mess the bounty hunter was reduced to. "Why don't you just bring some up for him?" She playfully told the droid.

"I shall," the IG unit acknowledged. When the door slid closed behind it, Mando growled in frustration.

"Under no circumstances does that thing leave the ship," he hissed.

The laugh that Cara was suppressing finally broke though. "You got a real thing for droids, don't you?"

"I got a real thing for that droid."

"The Ugnaught said he rewired it."

"That droid was designed to kill things. I don't care how much wiring he replaced, it goes against its nature."

Cara pushed herself out of her seat to make her leave. "Well, shouldn't be a long job anyway. You take out the head Imp, the rest will run like rats."  
She pat Mando lightheartedly on one of his pauldrons and winked in his direction before exiting the cockpit. "Enjoy your meal, Mando."

When she climbed back down the first floor of the gunship, Cara took a deep breath before walking over to Aurelia who was seated on a crate next to the blurrgs. She had most of he blaster rifle in hand, the remaining pieces seated next to her. She held a cloth in her hands, wiping away any debris that had collected in its chamber from past use. "Hey," Cara smiled nervously. "Can I sit for a sec?" She waited for a sign of acknowledgement from the smaller woman. Aurelia reached over to pull another crate out next to hers for the veteran to sit on. "I just wanted to say, I'm sorry for coming at you and Kuiil like that," Cara continued while watching Aurelia reassemble her firearm. "I have a lot of hatred towards the Empire. I know I'm not the only one," she chuckled darkly and glanced down at her feet nervously. "But still, that doesn't mean I can take it out on Kuiil. It's not his fault. I know you have secrets of your own. From the looks of it, it's some pretty heavy stuff. It's none of my business, and Mando hasn't told me anything he shouldn't have."

She paused for a moment to read the expression of the raven haired woman. "He cares about you, you know. More than I've seen him care about someone other than the kid. We lived together on Sorgan for awhile. Not once has he shown someone the same level of attention as you and the kid. I'll be honest and say that there was a woman there who showed him interest. He seemed like he wanted to bite, but his beliefs wouldn't let him. Even then, he left her behind pretty easily. I doubt it would be the same with you."

Aurelia finally paused to make eye contact with the shock trooper. "Don't sweat it," she grinned. "I promise you're fine. Tensions are running a little high around here. The biggest concern we should all have is keeping the kid safe. As far as Mando goes, he's just my employer. He's warmed up to me some in the few months we've worked together, and same goes for me. A friendship was bound to have formed if we didn't end up killing each other first, but that's the extent of it."

Cara tried to fight the frown that played on the corner of her lips. Instead of pushing the subject anymore, she changed it. "You and the Ugnaught did a good job on the crib. I see what he means by that being his way out."

Aurelia smiled in appreciation and continued wiping down the outside of her blaster.

"I gotta ask," Cara said slowly, "and you don't have to tell me, but how did you find _your_ freedom?"

Aurelia tilted her head to the side and stared up at the amused female soldier. She chuckled darkly to herself and cocked her rifle. "I killed them."

Cara flashed her a wicked smile. "Thata girl."

* * *

"Are we all ready?" Mando called over his shoulder. The blurrg he was seated on top of raised its stubby clawed hand to paw at the closed off cargo ramp. The poor creatures had spent the entire day confined closely to one another with little room to move around freely. The second the ramp had lowered, the blurrgs took off.  
A small cluster of figures was several dozen feet away from where the Crest had touched down. Each blurrg was slowed to a more controlled trot when they descended upon a man recognizable as Greef Karga. A few other bounty hunters surrounded him, the tensing of Mando's posture giving way to the fact that he had no idea the other hunters would be coming, let alone trust them.

"Sorry for the remote rendezvous, Mando. But things have gotten complicated since you were last here..."  
Karga's dark brown eyes scoured over the unaccounted for guests joining the Mandalorian in his visit to Nevarro; both sides had brought reinforcements along unbeknownst to the other party, yet both were equally uneasy that the opposite had thought to do the same. "It appears that introductions are in order. It seems we've both provided a security detail. I recommend the shock-trooper guards the ship, these lava fields are lousy with Jawas."

"She's coming with me," Mando said defiantly.

"But the town is now run by ex-Empire. If a rebel dropper is with us, they'll all get their hackles up." He watched Mando's unchanging body language before sighing in annoyance and the stubbornness of the bounty hunter. In another desperate attempt to limit Mando's numbers, Karga pointed in Aurelia's direction. "If not the soldier, at least let this one stand guard."

"She's coming as well."

"Fine. Fine. At least have the dropper cover her tattoo. No need to flaunt it. Now, where is the little one?"

Aurelia suppressed the urge to reach for the blaster strapped around her thigh once the crib containing The Child floated towards Karga. He reached inside, hoisting the foundling out and inspecting it carefully in his hands. "So... this little bogwing is what all the fuss was about. What a precious little creature. I can see why you didn't wanna harm a hair on its wrinkled little head."

In her peripheral vision, she noticed the ever so slight movement of Mando struggling with the same intentions. Across the lava flat several feet in front of them, the other hunters accompanying Karga found themselves eyeing the other side untruthful, waiting to see if anyone would dare to make the first move. The Guild magistrate picked up on the heaviness in the air. His eyes darted between each person, his movements slow as he nestled The Child back into the floating bassinet. The second he stepped back, the container snapped shut and pulled back to rest at the feet of Mando's blurrg.

Karga's eyes narrowed and he honed in on the over-protective Mandalorian. "Well, I'm glad this matter will be put to rest once and for all. Now in case you forgot, the sun drops fast on Nevarro. We can walk for a spell and camp out on the river bank, then make our way into town at first light."

The group continued their voyage across the lava fields trying to scope out the best location to settle before nightfall. It was difficult to find the materials to build a fire pit due to the molten flat terrain. For hunting purposes, it was even more of a strenuous task to find any kind of creature that found the lava planet's ecosystem hospitable. The crew had savaged a few dried out bits of branches from the more areas consisting of rocky terrain. Packs of large rodent type animals were scattered across the land, one of which Mando was successful in shooting with his blaster. Two of Karga's men made quick work of preparing it to be cooked over the fire Aurelia and Cara were busy putting together. Night had indeed crept up fast on the weary travelers; by the time the poor creature that had fallen prey to the Mandalorian was roasted to perfection, there wasn't a single flicker of any star in the pitch black sky. No moon was in sight tonight, casting its glow across the vast expanse of charred, volcanic land. It was solid black save for the glow of yellow and orange flames spewing from a mixture of lava and branches. Kuiil had taken it upon himself to feed The Child. He knew there wasn't much he could do as a fighter so he settled into the role of watching over the infant during the mission. Aurelia, Mando, and Cara were better suited for the task of providing protection for both The Child and Kuiil if it came down to it. All the energy that went into keeping a watchful eye on the kid was now spent on being hyper-vigilant towards Karga and his hunters.

Cara sat back and ate near Kuiil, not once letting her guard down throughout her meal. Mando ignored the deliciously smokey scent of cooked whatever-he-killed, pushing the gnawing feeling of hunger away as best as he could. He couldn't deny Aurelia the opportunity to indulge herself. Pulling a few pieces of meat off the spit, he motioned for her to seat herself directly behind him with her back pressed up against his, his broad frame concealing her completely from the others. She pulled her scarf down and bit into the pieces of freshly cooked meat. Mando surveyed the others, trying to scope out anyone who was trying to sneak a peak of her without her knowing. Cara and Kuiil each averted their gazes to stare strictly at only the large campfire in the center of the group. Karga couldn't contain his curiosity; he eased backwards slowly, trying not to raise suspicion by trying to keep his subtle movements as inconspicuous as possible. His eyes wandered off to the side the more he stretched backwards, desperately trying to peak around the Mandalorian to catch a glimpse of the woman behind him.

Mando's head tilted back to come into Karga's line of vision. He shook his head to side stiffly, his hand on his blaster in a not so discrete warning for the offending man to rethink what he was trying to do. Karga swallowed hard at the threat. His focus honed in on the kid instead, watching the little green infant happily accept Kuiil's dinner offering.

"I guess the little bugger's a carnivore," Karga mindlessly rambled to Mando in an attempt to resolve the bounty hunter's irritation. "Never seen anything like it. They were ready to pay a king's ransom for that thing. Must be for some kind of highfalutin menagerie."

Mando suppressed the urger to roll his eyes underneath his helmet. "Let's just go over the plan again, Karga."

"We both enter the common house. We show the client the bait. We join him at the table, and you kill him."

"Easy for him to say. He makes it sound so easy," Aurelia mumbled in between bites. Mando elbowed her softly from behind.

"Tell me about his reinforcements," he said through the smirk on his face.

"They're all ex-Empire," Karga continued. "As soon as they lose their paycheck, they'll all scatter.

"And what if they don't?"

"They will."

Mando balled his fists at his side and threateningly leaned closer to the man next to him. "That's not good enough," he spoke, his voice low with budding hostility.

"If, for argument's sake, a few of them don't realize that I'm their best path to alternative employment, and they elect to react impulsively, then these three fine Guild hunters along with that battle hardened shock-trooper and Kage hybrid behind you, will cut down anyone who bucks."

"Hybrid, huh? That's a new one," Aurelia muttered. "Better than _mutt_ or _half-breed,_ I suppose."

Mando elbowed her again to be quiet. "How many will there be?"

Karga stood up to make his way towards the fire pit. He began slicing off a few pieces of meat off the spit for himself. "No more than four..." Aurelia stopped herself from bringing another bite to her mouth when her ears picked up on a faint flapping noise overlapping Karga's voice. "He travels with, at most, a fire team...."  
Her eyes scoured the darkness but couldn't see anything to pinpoint the sound to. Perhaps it was another hunter rustling about.

"Trust me, nothing could go wrong," Karga finished. He raised a piece of meat to his mouth but let out a loud, painful yelp when a large winged figure swooped in to snatched it from his hand. Aurelia ripped her scarf back over her face and shot her hand outwards to close the covering to The Child's bassinet. Mando slammed down on top of her once the opposing edges of the lid snapped shut, safely securing the terrified infant inside the protective steel shell.

"Get...off of me!" Aurelia wheezed. She flailed about in a desperate attempt to free herself from the crushing pile of man and beskar steel laying on top of her.

"Stay low," Mando ordered, ignoring her protests. He fired a few rounds past her head, aiming at the incoming reptavian creature swooping in to grab one of Karga's bounty hunters. Aurelia shuddered, thankful she was facing in the other direction when she heard the man screams carried off and become more distant as he was swept away by the massive beast. She and Cara fired at one of the winged predators that had latched onto Kuiil's blurrgs. His pleas for her to be released further angered Aurelia who was still trapped under the Mandalorian's crushing weight.

"Mando, let me fight!" She yelled, swatting at the unmoving statue of a man.

The bounty hunter latched onto her arm tightly, his helmet tilted to stare down at her. "You and The Child are my responsa-"

"Mando!" One of the reptavians swooped down, ripping Mando's feet out from underneath him and dragging him across the lava flat. Aurelia scrambled to her knees and reached back behind her to unhook her rifle from the strap across her back. She tried her best to steady her breathing and fired a few frantic shots at the predator's wings. It roared in pain when a few rounds had hit their target, but it only succeeded in releasing Mando when he set off his flamethrower to burn its talons. He lay still for a moment to steady the burst of adrenaline rushing throughout his body and watched as the creatures took off without causing any more damage, though the loss of blurrg and the demise of the bounty hunter was nothing short of an unfortunate blow to morale. It was when Karga's groans of agony passed through Mando's helmet, did he realize they weren't out of the woods yet. Cara was hard at work tending to the nasty, poison infused lacerations he had sustained from the reptivian's claws. Mando pushed himself to his feet to join the others but not before Aurelia appeared by his side.

"Did it get you?" She asked, desperately trying to contain the anxious shakiness of her own voice. He hands traced along the edges of his armor, pulling at the flight suit her wore underneath as she inspected his clothing for any tears that would suggest he had been injured and infected himself.

"No, I'm fine."

"Stars, you scared me," her voice threatened to break at the end.

"Tajana! I need another med pack!" Cara yelled from behind her. Mando quickly brought himself to his feet and pushed the shaken Aurelia towards the rest of the group.

"How bad is it?" Mando grimaced to himself when the light from Cara's biometric scanner illuminating the poison spreading proximally up Karga's arm at an alarming rate.

"Bad. The poison is spreading fast," she said sounding a bit panicked herself. Cara looked over the Mandalorian at the smaller woman standing by his side. "Tajana! Medpack!"

"That was all I had," she said defeatedly.

"So this...this is how it happens," Karga groaned.

Cara let out a dark chuckle. "Don't be so dramatic. I just need another medpack. Got any other medpacks? Anyone?"

Karga sighed and leaned his head back. "I'm guessing that's a no."

Cara scanned his arm once more, the poison having drifted from the distal laceration site near his wrist to his upper arm. The faint blue light of the scanner illuminated a pair of big, black eyes belonging to The Child as it stared down over Karga's shoulder.

"Get this thing out of here," Cara huffed to Mando. Before he made a move to scoop up The Child, Kuiil stopped him.

"Wait," he said, motioning to the kid's outstretched hand. It hovered its little claws over Karga's injury before gently placing a hand on the wound.

"He's trying to eat me," Karga wailed dramatically.

"Stop it!" Aurelia hissed, nudging him and pointing towards the shrinking cuts. "Look, it's...it's healing you."

The injury he had sustained shriveled into absolutely nothing. All poison and pain had disappeared along with it. There was no scar in sight, no remnants of any damage having ever been done.

* * *

No one slept well that night; they were either still shaken up from the attack on the camp and were too wound up, waiting for another surprise attack, or the memory of the aftermath and the miraculous healing that took place had them on edge as well. I'm fact, the only one that slept at all was The Child who had collapsed from exhaustion after performing its miracle.

"It must take a lot of energy to do what it did," Aurelia said quietly, taking a seat next to the Mandalorian. He didn't answer her right away. The truth is the bounty hunter felt more on guard than before. The reaction The Child gained from the strangers who knew nothing of its powers made Mando increasingly worried that they would act out against the kid.

"The same thing happened when it protected me from a charging a mudhorn when I first found him," Mando replied, not taking his eyes off Karga and his men who lay on the opposite side of the fire pit.

"You and Kuiil mentioned that on the ship yesterday. Why hadn't you told me anything about it before?"

"Because I don't understand what it is, let alone can explain it to someone else," Mando sighed. "I told Kuiil what had happened because I was confused and was looking for an answer. It's not something I feel comfortable discussing out of the blue,"

"Oh," Aurelia said simply. She was slightly taken aback by the intensity of his answer and feeling stupid for asking such a thing.  
Mando sensed her discomfort and finally looked her way. "I'm sorry. I guess I should've told you in case anything happened to you or the kid while it was under your care. It's just...not something I know how to bring up easily."

"Trust me, there's a lot of that going around," she confessed. Not wanting to further a conversation centered around revealing secrets to one another, Aurelia laid down with her back towards the Mandalorian with one arm curled up underneath her as a makeshift pillow.

"Goodnight, Mando."

"Goodnight..." Mando paused to see if anyone was within earshot or secretly listening in on what they were saying. When he deemed it safe, he whispered her real name quietly so just the two of them would hear it.

* * *

The group started preparing for the rest of their journey to Nevarro as soon as the multicolored sunrise hues had been replaced with a solid blue skyline. Though the sun beat down overhead without a cloud in sight, the weather was a bit more fair compared to that of Tattooine. The only prominent source of heat was that they felt coming from the occasional lava pit or stream that seeped through the black obsidian cracks in the ground. Traveling by foot was their only option save for Kuiil, who was offered the remaining blurrg that managed to survive last night's surprise attack. Aurelia, Cara, and Mando stopped just ahead of the edge of the top of the lava flat, just another mile or so from town.

"I guess this is it," Karga's voice crept up behind them.

The air suddenly felt much heavier and tense. Though the two remaining bounty hunters accompanying Karga tried to remain as silent as possible, their footsteps as they approached others was still noticeable to their ears. Kuiil's blurrg let out a warning yelp when then two enemy hunters reached for their holsters, but not before Karga turned and fired a single round into each one. The men dropped dead on either side of him, Cara and Aurelia looking at their still lifeforms in shock. The two women along with Mando raised their firearms at Karga distrustfully, even though he just saved them from their own executions.

"There's something you should know," he elaborated slowly, arms held out to the side in defense. "The plan was to kill you and take the kid. But after what happened last night I couldn't go through with it. You can gun me down here and now, and it wouldn't violate the Code. If you do, this child will never be safe."

"We'll take our chances," Cara said bitterly.

"That's not our decision to make, Cara," Aurelia jerked her head towards Mando.

"The Imperial client is obsessed with obtaining this asset," Karga elaborated in his defense. "You tried to run, but where did it get you? We both need the client to be eliminated. Let me take The Child to him, and then you-"

"Stop," Mando cut him off. "He's right."

Cara's arm lowered and she looked on at the Mandalorian incredulously at the suggestion of letting Karga walking away from this without repercussions. "What are you doing?"

"As long as the Imp lives he'll send hunters after The Child. After me, and also her," he nodded to Aurelia.

"You know this is a trap!" Cara exclaimed.

Mando ignored her and glanced towards Karga. "Bring me."

"Bring you?"

"Tell him you captured me. Get me close to him, and I'll kill him."

Karga nodded in agreement. "That's a good idea. Gimme your blaster. Wait wait wait! He knows I've sent my men after you. You've been traveling with the girl right? I don't know he knows she's with you. We'd have to cuff her too, and give Cara all of your weapons."

 _"Excuse me?"_ Aurelia seemed appalled.

"This is insane!" Cara shrieked.

Mando grit his teeth. "It's the only way," he said forcefully. Truth be told he hated the fact that they had to go with such an idea but he was growing desperate at this point. "Karga, you and Cara will present both Aurelia and myself to the Imp. Tell them she captured us. Kuiil, ride back to the Razor Crest with The Child and seal yourself in. When you're inside, engage ground security protocols, and nothing on this planet will breach those doors."

"I have a commlink for us to maintain contact," Kuiil passed an earpiece to the Mandalorian. "Keep the girl and The Child safe. I will see you all when this is all over and Nevarro finally has peace from the Empire."

Aurelia watched with worried eyes as Mando helped hoist the Ugnaught onto his blurrg and passed him The Child nestled tight in the bassinet's blanket. The floating crib the foundling usually rested in was closed and secured shut, floating deceptively empty alongside Cara.

"I only have one pair," Mando sighed at the sudden problem that had arisen when he reached behind him to grab his lone set of handcuffs. Karga thought on his feet quickly and stooped over the bodies of one of his men. He rustled through the deceased hunter's belongings and made a delighted sound of approval when he found the extra set of bracers he was looking for. Karga stepped forward and approached Aurelia, motioning for her to hold her wrists out. The failed to notice the subtle step she took back and the wave of panic that flooded her eyes.

"Wait, stop," Mando's deep voice demanded. "Give them to me."

"Mando, we don't have time for this. I'm not going to hurt her-" Karga sighed exasperatedly.

 _"Give them. To me,"_ his voice lowered another octave. The cuffs were transferred to his outstretched hand without another word from the Guild leader. Mando slowly approached the hesitant looking pilot.

"I need you to trust me on this," he said quietly, ignoring the curious stares coming from the others. Aurelia's eyes flickered from Mando, to the cuffs, then to Kuiil. The Ugnaught nodded in agreement, answering her nonverbal question. "It's only for a little while," Mando tried to reassure her. "I promise you, these are going to come off by my hand."

He clasped the metal cuffs tightly around her wrists, slowly locking them into place. She avoided looking into his helmet's visor, feeling the heaviness of his gaze through the shining metal beskar and pitch black T-frame as he gauged her reaction carefully.

Karga nervously waited for the Mandalorian to approach him to begin securing the hunter's wrists with his own, personal set of bracers.

"Don't touch her, and don't question me again," Mando whispered lowly to the other man over the sound of locking metal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh lord so hear me out a second. This part and the next, that I'm 95% finished with, was supposed to be ONE WHOLE chapter but friends, I hit 14k words and knew that that was a bit too much to post in one go. Again, I had to break it up unexpectedly. I'm sorry I've been slacking with posting new updates. Honestly, the next few things I have planned are going to be so much easier for me to write. I've had a lot of writer's block these past few weeks but I think it's definitely passing.
> 
> So, I present to you: Chapter 8! Again, Chapter 9 is almost completed and I hope to post it before the weekend. It's an INCREDIBLY eventful chapter that I'm desperately trying to get right. The slow burn starts to come to an end, and things might start taking off pretty soon.
> 
> Thank you again for all the support and love. It super heartwarming knowing people out there actually might "like" my stuff :)


	9. Sacrifice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> selenium-drive.tumblr.com
> 
> TW: Death, depictions of violence

The remaining twenty minute long walk to the town under the rule of the Empire was filled with uneasy silence due to the nervousness the group felt about their spur of the moment plan, and the rising anxiety Aurelia felt the longer she was held "prisoner". Though they hated to admit it, Mando and Cara knew the visible discomfort she expressed made for a very convincing display of Mando himself and Aurelia as captured enemies. True unease was difficult to fake.

They approached the gates of the city where two Stormtroopers, one of which was lounging about on his speeder bike, guarded the entrance. "I have gifts for the boss," Karga motioned to both captive hunters. Aurelia did her best to stifle her nerves and keep her head down, remembering that she was indeed on a mission of great import. She doubted anyone from the Empire would know exactly who she was based on first glance; she herself had not interfered with Imperial affairs in the past, but her striking eyes had the potential be a dead giveaway as to what her bloodline was. She couldn't remember if Nevarro was one of the many planets her father had visited and included in his stories of victories against the Empire. If any of these Troopers stationed in this town had ever gone up against him, surely they wouldn't of even been kept alive to tell the tale. Still, word travels fast, especially when it comes to a problem that has to be dealt with. Her father and his crew had many, many enemies. It wouldn't surprise her if the warlord client once heard of a rebel Kage that used to meddle in their work. If that were the case, perhaps he would be able to recognize his daughter. After all, how many Kage lived outside the caves of Quarzite? Not many.

The Trooper posted at the gate scanned Karga's chain code and walked with them down the dusty streets crawling with even more Imperial soldiers. Both Cara and Aurelia couldn't help the burning hatred for such pests. It took all the self-discipline they had not to start picking off the mindless troops right then and there.

"You said four," Cara whispered harshly, her eyes darting from helmet to helmet of each enemy soldiers that passed by. "There are more than four Troopers."

"Four guarding the client," Karga fired back. "There are many more here in town. Things got really heated once Mando crashed the safe house."

"You did _what?"_ Aurelia elbowed the Mandalorian walking alongside her.

"I told you before," he whispered, stooping down more to her level, "I wasn't proud that I took a job from an Imp. That, and they wanted to hurt the kid."

They turned into an alleyway, the sudden change from the wider, open street to a more private, closed off space making Aurelia more anxious than before. She wouldn't put it past the Stormtrooper guiding them to turn around and execute them here on the spot. They kept walking, however, until they reached a large wooden doorway near the end of the alley.

"Here we are," Karga said, beckoning them to follow him inside. The Trooper that led them to the meeting room joined up with three others who stood guarding an elegantly dressed elderly man. The Guild leader subtly nodded towards the rest of the soldiers in the room. "You see? Four."

Karga falsified the best smile he could. "Look what I brought you, as promised," he said triumphantly to the warlord, gesturing towards the Mandalorian and company.

The client approached Mando, extending his arm out to brush the back of his hand against the cool, polished steel chest plate and helmet. "What exquisite craftsmanship. It is amazing how beautiful beskar can be when forged by its ancestral artisans." He turned his attention back to the Guild leader. "Can I offer you a libation to celebrate the closing of our shared narrative?" Mando stood still; from an outsider's perspective, he would've appeared uncaring or laid back. Aurelia knew him better than that. She knew how dangerous Mando could be when he was deceptively calm. He hated the audacity of this man for thinking he could lay a putrid hand on his armor, even if he was the one who supplied the Mandalorian with the steel to craft it.

"Please sit," the client instructed to the group after eliciting a nod from Karga. "It is a shame that your people suffered so," the Imp continued, taking a seat at a nearby round table. "Just as in this situation, it was all avoidable. Why did Mandalore resist our expansion? The Empire improves every system it touches. Judge by any metric. Safety. Prosperity. Trade. Opportunity. Peace..."

His rambling stopped when his eyes traced over the group seated across from him. He locked onto Aurelia, taking notice of her bright golden stare burning with anger. "Do you not agree with me, child?" He reached over Mando and Karga to brush the side of her face gingerly. Mando felt his body go rigid. If he weren't in such a vulnerable situation, he would've snapped the man's fingers in half one at a time.

Alongside him, Aurelia began to panic. Dank farrik, she knew she should've kept her eyes down. Her heart beat faster, praying to any gods out there that she wouldn't be recognized in any way. Her stubbornness and submissiveness battled with each other; she hated this man already and didn't want to back down and appear weak, but the knew the longer she looked into his own eyes, the higher the chance someone might know who she was.

"Such an odd thing, you are," he said curiously. "Yet, the hatred I feel you sending my way is the same as any other human or sentient species I've come into contact with before. You are all so blind as to what good the Empire can offer to you. Compare Imperial rule to what is happening now. Look outside, child. Is the world more peaceful since the revolution? I see nothing but death and chaos. The hardened stares from all of you only confirms to me that this is all you've seen, all you know as well. It's such a pity, is it not? The Empire wishes to change all of that, and now we have what we need to do it." He released his soft hold on her, Aurelia letting out a deep breath she didn't even know she was holding in once he stepped back towards The Child's bassinet. "I would like to see the baby."

"Uh...it is asleep," Karga stammered a little unconvincingly. Thankfully, the client still somehow believed him.

"We all will be quiet, just open the pram."

Cara tensed up, desperately fighting the urge to draw her blaster and kill the Imp before it was too late and their cover was blown. She looked to Karga for some kind of clue as to what the next move would be, but his wide eyed stare of his own uncertainty did nothing to provide her any consolation. As ironic as it was, a Stormtrooper happened to become their knight in shining armor. He stepped besides the client and whispered a few incomprehensible words into his ear.

"Don't think me to be rude," the elderly Imperial man apologized, "I must take this call."

He turned his back to the high-strung group still seated at at table. One of the Troopers placed a portable hologram communication pad on the bar's countertop, a bright blue glow emitting from in front of the warlord while he spoke to another unknown figure of authority.

Aurelia suppressed a flinch and almost slammed the tops of her knees into the underside of the table when she felt the outside of her knee inadvertently brushed by the back of Mando's hand when he maneuvered himself free of the confines of the bracers. She tried to suppress the blush forming on her cheeks when he slid the cuffs up onto her lap, the cool metal dragging slowly across the fabric of her pants. He reached across her lap and quickly undid her own restraints, setting both pairs of cuffs on her thighs.

"Hold these," he whispered, completely oblivious to fact of her sudden bashfulness due to his unexpected motions. "Give me the blaster," he motioned to Karga underneath the table.

"You've got one shot," he warned the bounty hunter.

Cara's short fuze was fizzling out. "This is bad. You said four."

Karga shot her a glare over his shoulder. "Well, there are more. What can I tell you?"

"Cara, my blaster," Aurelia whispered, her eyes scouring the room for any Stormtrooper who might be watching.

"Here. I'll give you everything else later," the dropper said hurriedly, slipping the small gun into Karga's hands. It traveled down the row from the Guild leader to the Mandalorian; the second it passed from Mando's leather gloves to Aurelia's fingerless gauntlets, the sound of shattering glass and rapid blaster fire erupted all throughout the common house. Mando kicked the table they were seated around over in an attempt to provide some sort of cover while they dove to the ground, crawling alongside the broken bits of glass, building wreckage, and Imperial bodies. They sought protection hugged tightly against the wall next to an elongated window where the countless shots were being fired though.

"Four Stormtroopers?" Cara shouted, knocking Karga roughly on the shoulder.

"Obviously there's more than kriffing four!" Aurelia swore angrily over the barrage of gunfire. The sudden onslaught took care of the issue of the client and the Troopers guarding him, but now there was a whole other, much worse, predicament at hand. When the dust had settled and the firing had stopped, the corned group snuck a peak out of the obliterated window behind the bar. An Imperial firing squad was the reason behind the attack, and transport vehicles full of more Troopers were joining their ranks. A few foot soldiers came flooding in from the streets, lining up with the rest and taking aim on the building Mando and the others took refuge in.

"This is bad." Cara grimaced. "Mando, we need to get out of here, now! If we get caught by them, then..." she shuddered at the thought.

He kept quiet but Aurelia could tell by the way his fingers clenched under his leather gloves that he was trying hard to map put their next move. He let out a huff and grabbed his commlink.

"Kuiil, are you back to the ship yet? Are you there? Do you copy?"

"Yes!" A strained voice came through, barely audible over the loud galloping of his blurrg.

"Are you back to the ship yet?"

"Not yet!"

"Get back to the ship and bail!" Mando exclaimed, hitting his fist up against the wall in pent up adrenaline. "Get the kid out of here. We're pinned down!"  
The bone chilling sound of a TIE fighter looming overhead resonated through the streets of the town. The ship landed just outside the common house, some of the Troopers parting way a bit to make room for whoever was emerging from inside.

"You have something I want," a male's voice rang out from the crowd of Stormtroopers.

"Who is this guy?" Cara motioned to an unseen figure outside the window. Mando paid her no attention. He tried speaking through the commlink once more.

"Kuiil, are you back to the ship yet? They're on to us. Kuiil, come in!" The growing sense of urgency in his voice made Aurelia start to panic. She tried to control her thoughts from assuming the absolute worse.

"Kuiil, do you copy?! Kuiil!"

Cara picked up on her growing level of anxiety. "He's fine," Cara attempted to reassure her. "He's probably boarding the ship right now. Just give him another minute and you'll see."

"Kuiil... Are you there?!"

"Yes, yes give him...give him a minute," Aurelia repeated uneasily.

"Come in, Kuiil! Kuiil, come in!" Mando glanced knowingly at her. He didn't have to say what either of them were thinking. Surprisingly, the non-existent expression that was still somehow evident through his helmet gave her the answer she didn't want to hear most of all.

"No, no give him a second! He just needs a second. He's fine! He's okay! They're okay!" Aurelia cried out. Her hands began to tremble and her eyes watered the more she felt the Mandalorian look on her with pity. Finally, he dropped his hand that was holding the commlink.

"No no no no! DON'T. _DON'T!"_ Aurelia scrambled away from the bounty hunter when he slowly bent down and reached one hand out to hold her in place. "DON'T. TOUCH ME. NO! YOU CALL HIM AGAIN."

"Stop it! Dank farrik, pull it together!" Mando shot his hands forward and gripped both of her wrists tightly. He snatched her up, bringing her face closer to his helmet and shook her firmly. "We don't know what happened, but you have to focus on what's happening right here, _right now_."

The look of both terror and utter devastation broke the Mandalorian's spirit. He frowned heavily, hoping he didn't further upset her any. The only thing he could think of to do at that moment was place his hand gently on the top of her head. "Breathe, ad'ika. Just...breathe."

A small tear managed to escape from out over her lash line. It trailed down what small portion of skin she had exposed beneath her eyes, then absorbed into the cotton threads of her scarf. "He's dead, Mando."

"We don't know that for certain," he told her, his voice trying to sound soothing despite the blaring uncertainty seeping through. "We have to get out of here, then we'll find them. But first, I need you to focus."

"Is there another way out?" Cara asked.

Karga shook his head. "No, that's it."

"What about the sewers?" Mando asked, hoisting Aurelia up to her feet. Karga shrugged and looked at him unknowingly, leaving Mando to further elaborate. "The Mandalorians have a covert down in the sewers. If we can get down there, they can help us escape. Is there an entrance to them in here somewhere?"

"Guys, something's happening outside," Aurelia said shakily.

Cara peaked her head around the side of the window, her breathing intensifying and her mouth hanging wide open when she saw a team of Troopers assembling a massive firearm. It was something she recognized from her days of military service, and she knew it didn't mean good news for herself or her comrades.

"They're setting up an E-Web."

Karga backed against the wall I'm disbelief at the fate that was about to befall those in the common house. His legs threatened to give out from the sudden wave of grief that washed over him. "It's over," he whispered in defeat.

"Not yet," Mando pointed towards a bench situated up against a nearby wall. "I found the sewer vent."

"Then let's get the hell outta here," Cara ordered.

Everyone grabbed the corners of the bench, pushing and pulling it back to reveal a heavy, iron vent securely fastened in place. In a profound sense of urgency and desperate for a means of an escape, Cara fired her blaster in an attempt to weaken the bolted on metal bearings securing the grate to the wall. The thick metal remained securely in place, seemingly untouched.

"It's not working! We need something else!" She cried out in frustration.

"Hang on, move out of the way." Aurelia pushed past her and fired both of her grappling hooks in-between the cracks of the vent. The hooks opened up, securing themselves in place on the other side of the grate. "I'll pull, you fire. Maybe we can loosen it."

Cara shook her head in protest. "Those aren't going to be sturdy enough. They're just going to snap!"

"No, they won't," Mando spoke up. "It's beskar. It can take it."

He crept up behind Aurelia, admiring the polished silver cables and hooks coming out from her gauntlets. "You still never told me where you got those from," Mando said from over her shoulder. "Beskar steel belongs to the Mandalorians."

She chuckled darkly and widened her stance, preparing to put all of her strength into pulling back against the bolted in screws that separated the crew from freedom. "That's another story for another day, if we survive this one, that is."

Cara shot her blaster along the edges of the vent, hoping that in all the barrage of rounds she was firing off, maybe at least a few would weaken the integrity of the solid metal that prevented their escape. "It's not...working!" She shouted over the repetitive blasts.

Aurelia pulled back harder, cursing her lack of strength. Her wrists felt like they were going to snap and her forearms heavily ached from the cables pulling against her skin and muscles.

Mando stepped directly behind her and proceeded to wrap the beskar infused wiring around his own arm braces. The sudden, unexpected body contact caused Aurelia to lurch forward slightly, stopping her efforts of pulling against the grate.

"Keep going, ad'ika," Mando grunted, yanking back hard on the grappling hook's wires back in additional support. The sturdy cables and hooks withheld under the strength of their combined effort to pry the grate from the wall; the vent creaked and groaned under pressure but still held tight in place.

Cara set down her firearm in defeat after a few more passing moments of no success. "That's it," she said breathlessly. "It's over."

"Your astute panic suggests that you understand your situation," a male voice smugly spoke up from outside in the plaza. Aurelia detached herself hooks from the grate, her exhausted arms loosely hanging at her side. She turned her attention to the stranger addressing them, noticing a menacing looking military official standing in front of the rows of Imperial soldiers. "I would prefer to avoid any further violence, and encourage a moment of consideration," he continued. "Members of my escort have completed assembly of an E-Web heavy repeating blaster. If you are unfamiliar with this weapon, I am sure that Republican Shock Trooper Carasynthia Dune of Alderaan will advise you that she has witnessed many of her ranks vaporize mid-descent facing the predecessor of this particular model."

Cara stumbled back, clearly shaken by the knowledge the man standing on the other side of wall possessed. "H-how does he know-"

"Or perhaps the decommissioned Mandalorian hunter, Din Djarin, has heard the songs of the Siege of Mandalore, when gunships outfitted with similar ordinance laid waste to fields of Mandalorian recruits in The Night of a Thousand Tears."

"Don't think I overlooked you, Aurelia Vandorack," Moff Gideon continued proudly. She shot a worried expression towards Mando, panic beginning to set once she heard her full name. "I know of the crimes that your father, Kodo Vandorack, and his pathetic cluster of rebellious abominations, committed against the Empire in its glory days. You might think that the many years of servitude you've experienced at the hands of Tattooine bandit, Darro Obrik, was enough torment, but wait until you see what I have in store for you. You'll wish you were on Quarzite, being slowly crushed in weight of its uninhabitable atmosphere, regretting the day you sided with these people."

"Don't listen to him," Mando warned her. "He's trying to get in your head. He plays mind games, Aurelia. Don't let him win."

"I advise disgraced Magistrate Greef Karga to search the wisdom of his years and urge you to lay down your arms and come outside. The structure you are trapped in will be razed in short order and your storied lives will come to an unceremonious end."

"What do you propose?" Karga sputtered to the man seemingly in charge.

"Reasonable negotiation."

"What assurance do you offer?"

"If you're asking if you can trust me...you cannot," Moff Gideon said flatly. "Just as you betrayed our business arrangement, I would gladly break any promise and watch you die at my hand. The assurance I give is this: I will act in my own self-interest, which at this time involves your cooperation and benefit. I will give you until nightfall, and then I will have the E-Web cannon open fire."

"I don't trust him," Aurelia told the others. "He'll fire on us whenever he choses. I don't believe this man to be generous enough to give us more than a few hours and risk us coming up with a decision or plan an escape."

"This isn't just anyone. I know who he is," Mando spoke up. "It's Moff Gideon."

"No. Moff Gideon was executed for war crimes," Karga disagreed.

Mando shook his head. "It's him. He knew my name."

"So? What does that prove?"

"I haven't heard that name spoken since I was a child."

"On Mandalore?" Karga questioned further.

"I was not born on Mandalore."

"But you're a Mandalorian."

"Mandalorian isn't a race," Cara interjected.

"It's a Creed," Mando explained. "I was a foundling. They raised me in the Fighting Corps. I was treated as one of their own. When I came of age, I was sworn to the Creed. The only record of my family name was in the registers of Mandalore. Moff Gideon was an ISB Officer during the purge. That's how I know it's him. He says he needs us, which means The Child got away safely. I was worried when the Ugnaught didn't respond, but if they'd captured the kid, we'd already be dead."

"Maybe Kuill's fine after all," Cara tried to tell Aurelia comfortingly. "Mando, hail them again."

He nodded and brought the commlink to his helmet. "Come in, Kuii." They waited on edge for several seconds but got nothing back but the crackling sound of static.

"They might have jammed the link," Cara noted at the lack of response.

"Kuiil has been terminated," IG's robotic voice broke through the other side of the commlink.

"What did you do?" Mando growled. His eyes shifted under the cover of his visor to scope out Aurelia's reaction. Her stare remained fixed on the rocky debris beneath their feet, completely numb at the news. She had known all along. Even if she tried to convince herself otherwise, she wouldn't of believed anything different.

"I am fulfilling my base function," IG spoke up once more in reply to the Mandalorian.

"Which is?"

"To nurse and protect."

The distant shouts and gunfire of Stormtroopers in combat caused everyone within the vicinity to turn their attention towards the winding street leading to the plaza where the Troopers were stationed.

"Look!" Cara pointed. The intense stillness outside of the common house quickly erupted into a scene of all out war. A speeder bike launched itself into a crowd of several Troopers, smashing them against the walls of surrounding buildings and streets of Nevarro. The IG unit Kuill had reconstructed emerged from besides the wreckage, The Child strapped securely on its back, giggling maniacally and completely unaware of the magnitude of danger it was in.

It took everything Mando had not to run outside and grab The Child from out of harms way. He knew doing such a thing would be a suicide mission. There was no other choice but to fight at this point.

"I need you, Aurelia, a'dika," Mando pleaded quietly but firmly. He tore his gaze from the IG unit currently taking on the vast sea of Troopers to stare at the woman next to him. "I can't do this without you."

"I know," Aurelia smiled sadly. "I let Kuiil down and I'm not letting you or the kid down either." She quickly took her daggers and rifle from Cara who had been holding onto them since they first arrived into town.

Mando darted out from the safety of the building and began taking on the countless number of enemy soldiers gathered in the plaza. Karga and Aurelia followed him closely with their blasters drawn, taking aim on whoever they could. A handful of Stormtroopers rushed the entrance of the building all but Cara had emerged from. One set off a grenade, blasting the door down and creating a gaping hole in the exterior for more Imperial soldiers to rush through.

"Cara!" Aurelia called out after the debris had settled.

"I'm okay!" The dropper coughed violently from inside the building. The sound of continuous blaster fire and the screams of fallen enemy Troopers put Aurelia more at ease knowing the female veteran inside was fully capable of taking care of herself.

"There's too many!" She shouted, throwing one of her daggers into the chest plate of an advancing Stormtrooper. When she heard the fast approaching footsteps of another trying to strike her from behind, she combined the ends of her daggers and twisted, causing the other to jut out and pierce the chest of other soldier trying to sneak up on her.

"Take them out from above! I have an idea!" Mando called out to her, after taking a split second to admire her Stormtrooper shish kebab.

"Cover me!" Aurelia separated the blades and slid them back alongside her waist, then fired her grappling hook into the edge of the stone rooftop belonging to the common room they sought shelter in. She grappled upwards, both Mando and Karga taking out those who tried to shoot her down in the process. When she made it to the top and took cover behind some of the stone on the rooftop, she pulled her rifle from behind her back. From her peripheral vision, she saw Mando make a break for the E-Web cannon stationed untouched in the center of all the chaos. It was then she understood what he wanted her to do. She took out the nearby Troopers who swarmed around the cannon and stood in Mando's way. He dodged their shots in an attempt to stop him from using their detrimental weapon to his own advantage, thanking the stars his armor was able to safely deflect what rounds he couldn't avoid. Karga and Aurelia provided enough support for him to reach the massive heavy repeating blaster. Her feeling of victory watching the Mandalorian rain down on the Stormtroopers was short lived when two blaster rifle rounds grazed the side of her arms, causing her to fall back and yelp in pain at the sharp burning sensation that stretched along her marred skin. Mando shifted his focus to the Stormtrooper that took aim on his pilot, not paying attention to Moff Gideon who crept up from behind and fired a shot directly into his helmet. Aurelia scrambled to her crouched position, trying to avoid the situation from getting any worse. A few more Troopers blasted the corner of the roof she was taking cover behind, ceasing her aid towards her comrades down below. She tilted her head around the corner to watch helplessly as Mando stabilized himself enough to put Gideon in his line of fire next. The Imp prepared to take aim at the bounty hunter but his eyes shifted last minute to a large metallic box a foot away from where the Mandalorian stood.

"Mando! No!" Aurelia shouted from the rooftop above. Moff Gideon fired a single shot into the E-Web power unit, setting off a massive fireball explosion directly in front of the hunter. The force from the blast was enough to knock the sturdy Mandalorian clean off his feet and fling the cannon out of his hands. Both weapon and wielder landed on the ground with a loud, sickening clang. Karga dragged himself up the wall he had been thrust face first into from the resonating force of the explosion. He turned and fired at the incoming wave of Troopers who managed to survive Mando's onslaught, providing cover for Cara when she emerged from inside the common house to drag Mando's limp body inside. Aurelia dropped down beside them and used her grappling hooks to wrap around Mando's arms to help pull him to safety faster. She detached herself from him when they were inside behind the cover of the bar, Cara busy triaging the downed bounty hunter while Karga and Aurelia continued to take down what Troopers they could from the view of the window. IG had taken it upon itself to laser around the edges of the sewer grate, giving the group one last chance at escaping.

"Mando, I need to take this off," Cara pleaded. She reached up to rest her hands on both sides of his helmet, pausing and letting out a sharp gasp when her fingers met the slickness of his blood that had begun to slowly drip from out underneath his armor. She opened her mouth to speak but struggled to get anything to come out. She cleared her throat and tried to hide the way her voice was on the verge of breaking. "A-Aurelia!"

Aurelia's shattered heart further crumbled at the unmistakable sense of helplessness in Cara's tone. No, absolutely not. She wasn't going through this again. She hung her rifle back on the strap crossing over her chest and ran to wounded the Mandalorian, paying no attention to the rubble and broken bits of glass embedding themselves in her knees when she slid across the floor to his side. Mando gingerly placed his hands over hers, stopping her in her tracks when she placed her palms on the sides of his helmet.

"You have to make sure The Child is safe." He said weakly.

"Mando, no," she began to beg. "We're not going to leave you here. Please, please don't do this to me. Don't make me go through this twice in one day. We have to take this off, right Cara? Then we can help you."

"Please," he pleaded softly. "Just...just listen to me for once. You of all people should kn-know the importance of hiding yourself-"

Aurelia angrily yanked her hands free out from under his. She grabbed the black fabric twirled around her face and neck, ripping it off and throwing it across his chest.

Mando's labored breathing completely stilled, her furious glare bore a hole straight through his visor. The intensity of the raging fire surrounding them was nothing in comparison to the flickering embers that were speckled throughout the inferno of her eyes. It was like looking directly at a solar flare. Mando couldn't take it and resorted to catching a glimpse at the portion of her face once forbidden to lay eyes upon. Her tanned skin was marred by a dark, clean cut line across the bridge of her button nose, stretching from one end of her cheekbone to the other. More, less extreme markings were noticeable on the side of her face near her jawline. A few trailed up near her chin; two other scars crossed perpendicularly over the corner her plump lips. The most noticeable scar of all was the dark, thick line that wrapped around her neck.

"I hate it when you throw that shit in my face," she said venomously.

The beaten down Mandalorian couldn't come up with a well thought out response. He was too busy scanning over every inch of her face, his heart heavy that she revealed herself for him out of a defiant act of desperation. Maker, she was about to hate him forever.

Mando pulled off his necklace and placed it into the hand of the beautifully flawed woman crouched over him. "When you get to the Mandalorian covert, you show them that." She started to protest but he cut her off completely. "You tell them it's from Din...Djarin. You tell them the foundling was in my protection, and they'll help you."

He weakly motioned for Cara to come over. "Mando no, wait!" She cried out. Aurelia was hoisted up by the significantly stronger woman. She kicked in protest, trying her hardest to break free from Cara's bone crushing hold. "Mando, please no! _STOP IT!"_

He closed his eyes tight, praying desperately hard to the Maker and all the stars in the galaxy that he could somehow drown out her screams. "I'm not gonna make it, mesh'la, " he whispered, "and you know it."

Another fiery explosion blasted through the window. He kept talking over all the noise, raising his voice as much as his body would allow. "You protect The Child. I can hold them back long enough for you to escape. Let me have a warrior's death."

_"MANDO!"_

He paused for a minute, trying to push away the heaviness that weighed his weakened body down. The IG unit kicked in the vent grate just as a cluster of Stormtroopers rushed in. The Child crept forth, holding off the burning flames erupting from an enemy flame thrower. The foundling pushed the Troopers back through the doorway, giving everyone just enough time to flee. The droid scooped up the now exhausted child, shoving him into Aurelia's hands to distract her from the Mandalorian she was leaving behind. She was silent, tearfully looking over at the broken bounty hunter as she clutched his son tight.

"This is the Way," Mando reassured her.

"Come on! It's open, let's go!" Karga motioned for Cara and the others to follow him into the sewers. "We have to move. Now!"

"Go," Mando gasped one last time.

"Escape and protect this child," IG commanded to Aurelia. "I will stay with the Mandalorian."

"Promise me you'll bring him," Cara muttered just so the droid would hear.

"You have my word."

She stared hard at the droid and took off, wrapping an arm around Aurelia to get the stunned Kage woman to advance into the tunnels. "He's going to be fine," Cara tried to convince both herself and the pilot.

The trio continued through the vent until they reached what appeared to be the sewer system the Mandalorian was referring to. A few tunnels branched off from the starting point they had been led to, causing more of a headache rather than any relief that they might of finally been safe. They kept walking down the main walkway to see where it would take them rather than get themselves lost in any of the numerous corridors.

"Aurelia, isn't it?" Karga asked suddenly, eliciting a raised eyebrow in response from the younger woman. "That's your name?"

"Karga..." Cara warned in a low tone.

"What? We were never properly introduced."

"You decide to bring this up now?" The dropper snapped.

"Yes, it is," the raven haired woman answered before the bickering could continue. The hoarseness in her throat was still painstakingly evident from the tears she shed minutes ago.

"Well...I'm sorry for your losses today, Aurelia," he sympathized wholeheartedly.

_"Karga!"_

_"What?!"_

"Shhh! Do you hear that?" Aurelia silenced them. They listened closely, the sounds of approaching footsteps becoming more apparent.

The glow belonging to a bight head light bobbed down the sewer walkway several feet behind them. Looking past the white glow, they could make out the familiar looking beskar helmet the flashlight was fixed to. Aurelia's stomach flipped when she saw the weakened silhouette of Mando staggering towards them, barely being held up properly by IG's lanky robotic form. Both Karga and Cara let out heavy sighs of relief and rushed to Mando's side, happy that the droid managed to keep its promise.

"I got him, IG, thank you," Cara told the droid, taking on the weight of the Mandalorian.

"Of course. It is my duty to serve and protect. And Miss Aurelia, I believe this is yours." The IG unit turned to face her once its arms were free. It stiffly extended one claw outwards, releasing its grasp on the scarf she wore but left behind with then the dying bounty hunter. "Do with it as you wish. From my perspective, I do not believe you should be wearing it at all."

"Thank you," she told it somberly. Cara glanced nervously at Mando who was too focused on watching Aurelia secure the black cloth in its usual position. He had noticed that she said nothing to him since the droid brought him back to the others. Honestly, he wasn't sure what kind of reaction his reappearance would elicit from her. He was relieved to see everyone again, even Karga at this point. They still weren't out of danger yet and had to keep a level head in order to get to safety. Why then, was his heart heavier than the beskar he wore when his pilot completely ignored him?

"Do you know which way to go?" Karga asked, trying to redirect everyone's attention to the task at hand.

Mando tried to shake his head but the sudden wave of dizziness stopped him from doing so. "No. I don't know these tunnels. I've only entered from the bazaar. The Imps will catch us before we make it to the ship. We need to find the Mandalorians so they can escort us to safety."

They wandered aimlessly around the various tunnels, their lack of progress of advancing forwards having themselves wondering if they were backtracking periodically and going in circles.

"This place is a maze," Cara groaned in frustration. She had seen the same rock multiple times now, she knew she had.

Mando rolled his shoulders and shifted his weight back and forth. He had several injuries he sustained from the explosion hadn't been tended to by the IG unit; he could feel patches of dried blood on various parts of his chest, arms, and legs sticking to the inside of flight suit. His head was ringing significantly less and his vertigo had subsided considerably, but no amount of bacta the droid had on him could make the dull, aching, throb that was still present, go away completely. He wouldn't be able to sit down and recover until after the mission was completed entirely, but he was getting fed up with having to be dragged along like a giant burden. "Stop," he told Cara, pulling some of his weight off her and to his own two feet. "I can stand. I have to do something. I'll...I'll try to find tracks that will lead us to the others."

He stumbled around for a minute trying to steady himself, his head tilted low towards the ground and scanning over his surroundings slowly under the tracking settings of his visor. A set of footsteps not belonging to anyone else in the group caught his attention. They ventured further down the tunnels and around one of the corners, possibly leading them to the rest of his covert. Mando motioned for his companions to follow him, his heart beating faster through his armor when the heat signatures became more prominent and fresh looking, signifying that they were closing in on whoever left them behind.

"We're close. Turn here."

The sight that befell the Mandalorian's eyes was enough to make his newly regained strength be sucked completely out from him.

"Oh no," Cara grimaced under her breath once the realization dawned on her as to what exactly they were seeing. In the middle of the walkway lay a pile of worn Mandalorian armor, mostly consisting of forsaken helmets that were apparently left behind by the others. A few busted up pauldrons, thigh coverings, and chest plates were scattered about the ground as well, but to remove one's helmet, according to the Mandalorian creed, meant there was no going back to one's old way. Deserting the armor that was held to such high regards by its wearer meant that Mando's covert had given up their entire way of life.

The lone Mandalorian dropped to his knees in anguish in front of the collection of beskar and metal. Even though almost every square inch of his body was covered, the obscene amount of pain, anger, and confusion he was feeling was still apparent to everyone.

"Mando?" Aurelia spoke up timidly. She still had her strong opinions about how she felt towards him when he had her ripped away from his side as he lay dying, but as hurt as she was, she still couldn't find it in herself to not console her partner.

She approached him slowly, noticing how tense his broad shoulders were, how low he hung his head, and how stiff all the muscles in his arms were. In the few months she had spent with the Mandalorian, she had to learn both his subtle and very obvious changes in his body language to understand what he was feeling at any given time. He was good at masking most emotions in his voice, especially thanks to the vocoder embedded in his helmet, although his occasional frustrated sighs and tones of annoyance still slipped past the beskar from time to time. When his stance was rigid and statuesque, she knew better than to push his buttons or come at him too quickly. The way he looked to her now, well, confronting him would be like poking an angry rancor with a stick. Still, she couldn't bring herself not to try.

"Mando?" Aurelia repeated once more, this time a bit more assertively. He paid her no mind, even when she stood directly over his huddled form. It was only when the tips of her slender fingers brushed against the cape secured around his neck, did he flinch sharply at her touch and stare up at her.

Since IG brought him back to the others, she hadn't once looked his way. He knew he had upset her and caused her emotional grief for practically nothing. She wouldn't outright admit it, but she was far from okay after the passing of Kuiil. The moisture farmer was like a second father figure to her. He was undoubtedly the most important person in her life. Mando wasn't sure how she felt about himself personally, but he safety assumed they had a good friendship developing. She was still timid at times, but they still trusted one another for the most part. Mando knew he crushed what relationship was developing between them the second he had Cara rip her away from his side. He obliterated their trust into millions of pieces of stardust. The pain he felt from seeing the abandoned armor of his people, only deepened when he looked up at Aurelia. He was grateful she had finally acknowledged him, but he felt so unworthy of the concern and honey glow of warmth she had in her deep golden eyes. The fact that she touched him sent his emotions into overdrive. He had no problem touching her when the moment called for it. He made physical contact with a lot of people, though a lot of it wasn't necessarily friendly. It was receiving, though, that he was far from used to. The first time she initiated true physical contact, was when she would clean his wounds. It was a little strange and unfamiliar at first but he didn't mind it. He deemed it viable and there was no meaning behind her touch. This most recent time, however, when he felt her fingertips leave nervous, feather light tracings across his scarred bronze skin, was something new to him. He wouldn't dare tell her that he could still feel her hands ghosting over his back for hours after he put his clothing back on. The gentle feeling of her hand she placed near the base of his neck just now, only reminded him of that surprisingly intimate moment they shared.

Cara cleared her throat to remind the others that despite the unfortunate circumstances at hand, time was of the essence. "We should go," she tried to persuade the rest of the group.

"You go," Mando said monotonously. "Take the ship. I can't leave it this way."

His attention suddenly honed in strictly on Karga. He shot up to his knees, Aurelia stumbling backwards from surprise at his sudden movement.

"Did you know about this?" Mando asked threateningly, swooping in on the Guild leader. "Is this the work of your bounty hunters?"

"What? No!" he cried out. His eyes frantically darted between Cara, Aurelia, and the IG unit watching helplessly on the sidelines. No way were they getting in the middle of the Mandalorian's meltdown. "When you left the system and took the prize, the fighting ended and the hunters just...melted away. You know how it is. They're mercenaries. They're not zealots."

His answer did nothing to settle Mando's dangerous outburst. Aurelia felt herself shrink to the side the more Mando's fury unleashed itself. Never had she seen the stone cold, stoic man show his emotions on his scale.

"Did you do this?" The bounty hunter roared. His deep baritone echoed off the sewer walls, not giving a damn if it brought the Stormtroopers their way. He butted chests with Karga in a primal display of aggression when the man gave him no answer. _"Did you?!"_

"No!" Karga all but begged for mercy.

"It was not his fault," an unfamiliar female voice rang out behind him. The sound immediately calmed the rabid Mandalorian, his anger doused by her assertive but velvety smooth tone. "We revealed ourselves. We knew what could happen if we left the covert."

She tossed a few of the forgotten pieces of armor onto a cart. Pushing the pile she had collected, she led the travelers towards a large circular room. In the center, appeared to be an old, outdated forge.

"The Imperials arrived shortly thereafter. This is what resulted," she gestured to the strewn out armor.

"Did any survive?" Mando asked hesitantly.

"I hope so. Some may have escaped off-world."

Mando's eyes scanned over the pile of armor knowing it was only him and the Armorer left in the covert. "Come with us."

"No," she rejected firmly. "I will not abandon this place until I have salvaged what remains."

The Armorer tossed a few more pauldrons into the furnace's blue flames. Aurelia watched how easily the seemingly indestructible beskar caved in itself from the burning hot touch of the flames. It bubbled and melted, pooling into the familiar shining silver she knew so well. It was funny how much the properties of the steel armor he wore resembled the Mandalorian himself. Beskar was valuable and very sought after by many. It never chipped, rusted, or blemished despite all who tried to harm it. It was flawless, shining bright and forever polished to perfection. Yet, with one touch of a simple flame, the one thing it was susceptible to, it was reduced to a puddle of gleaming metal. That's all it was after all: just steel.

"Show me the one whose safety deemed such destruction," the Armorer's voice commanded.

She walked up to Aurelia, eyeing her silently under the solid black glass visor of her golden Mandalorian helmet. "Is this the one? I sense much fight in her, but yet, much turmoil."

"This is the one," Mando gestured to the infant in her arms.

The Armorer averted her gaze down some, her helmet tilting in amusement at an infant being the sought after person of interest. "This is the one you hunted, then saved?"

"Yes. The one that saved me as well."

"From the mudhorn?"

"Yes."

She paused for a moment, eyes glancing over the worn out, unconscious child. "It looks helpless."

"It's injured, but it is not helpless. Its species can move objects with its mind."

"I know of such things. The songs of eons past tell of battles between Mandalore the Great and an order of sorcerers called Jedi that fought with such powers."

Mando felt uneasy, almost too afraid to ask her to elaborate. "It is an enemy?"

"No. Its kind were enemies, but this individual is not."

The sudden pit in his stomach disappeared. He kept his sigh of relief strictly to himself. "What is it?" Mando asked.

"It is a foundling. By Creed, it is in your care."

"You wish me to train this thing?"

The Armorer shook her head. She turned her attention back to the molten beskar she had melted down in the furnace. "It is too weak; it would die. You have no choice but to reunite it with its own kind."

"You expect me to search the galaxy for the home of this creature and deliver it to a race of enemy sorcerers?" Mando felt stupid for allowing such a sentence to pass his lips. It sounded absurd, all of it. A baby with magical powers who's species just so happens to be enemies with the Mandalorians? It was a crazy, cruel twist of fate. The whole galaxy seemed to be out to get him at this point.

"This is the Way," the Armorer said casually. Aurelia was beginning to hate that saying. It seemed like an overly formal way of saying, "fuck it, that's how things are, so deal with it". She respected it because it was important to Mando. Those simple words were the foundation for his whole lifestyle. He was obviously willing to die over it, and she felt guilty that every single part of her hated that he was okay with that. They hid themselves for different reasons, but when Kuiil told her that Mando out of everyone else in the entire galaxy, should know how important it was for her to reveal herself to him, he didn't even bat an eye. It made her feel so foolish for trusting in him, but it made her even angrier with herself for being so upset about it. She hid because she was ashamed, he hid because it was his way of life. How dare she get upset over that, right? She was nothing in comparison to the importance of his creed. After all, he was willing to leave The Child, his friends, and even her over it.

No.

No, she wasn't going to dwell on it. She needed to stop this. He hired her for a job, plain and simple. Mando was nothing to her, and she was nothing to him. It's what she told everyone else, and it's what she would keep reminding herself every second if she had to because this was her way. If he was so willing to sever ties with people he "cared" about, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of begging him to come back or feeling upset when he decided to leave.

Cara nudged her out of her runaway train of thought. "Aurelia, we need to go," she muttered to raven haired woman before turning to address the rest of the group. "These tunnels will be lousy with Imps in a matter of minutes. We should at least discuss an escape plan."

"If you follow the descending tunnel it will lead you to the underground river. It flows downstream toward the lava flats," the Armorer directed them.  
"I think we should go then, thank you," Karga motioned for them to keep walking.

Mando stayed put. "I'm staying. I need to help her, and I need to heal." There he was again, doing as he pleased. It was his job to come and go as he saw fit, not stay with someone for too long. Aurelia felt foolish for thinking she might of even been an exception.

"You must go," the Armorer commanded sternly. She turned her back towards the rest of the group and motioned for the Mandalorian to follow her to the edge of the furnace. "A foundling is in your care. By Creed, until it is of age or reunited with its own kind, you are as its father. This is the Way. You have earned your Signet."

The Armorer reached back towards the furnace to collect the newest work of craftsmanship she made using the beskar from the other Mandalorian armor. Sparks flew from Mando's pauldron as his signet was fastened to the steel. The Armorer stepped back to reveal her handiwork; the silhouette of a mudhorn.

"You are a clan of two," she nodded towards Mando and The Child.

"Thank you. I will wear this with honor."

A few loud explosions detonating nearby startled the group. The yells of Imperial soldiers could faintly be heard off in the distance, signaling that the tunnels were soon to be overrun with enemy forces.

"IG, please guard the outer hallway. A scouting party draws near," the Armorer requested. "I have one more gift for your journey. Have you trained in the Rising Phoenix?"

Mando looked at her with awe under his helmet. "When I was a boy, yes."

"Then this," she began, reaching behind her to grab a jetpack, "will make you complete."

Mando took the heavy device from her hands, a strong sense of pride stirring in his chest at the sight of being awarded with such an honor. "Thank you," he exhaled breathlessly.

The other Mandalorian eyed him carefully. "When you have healed, you will begin your drills. Until you know it, it will not listen to your commands.

"I understand."

A few grunts and the chaotic sounds of blasters firing out in the corridor followed. It was quiet for a moment, then IG rounded the corner stoically.

"You are protected," he told the others.

The Armorer nodded in response then turned to face Mando. "More will come. You must go."

"Come with us," he tried to bargain once more.

"My place is _here,_ " she answered undeterred by his persuasive efforts. "Restock your munitions. IG, carry this jetpack for Din Djarin until he is well enough to wear it. Now, go! Down to the river and across the plains. Be safe on your journey."

* * *

They approached an underground lava river, the sweltering sulfuric air making it difficult to breathe in the enclosed tunnel. A few rodents that blended in with the charred rocky landscape scuttled past their feet in a hurry. Aurelia followed their movements, her eyes catching what appeared to be a ferry at the base of the ledge they were standing on. The poor droid that had been given the unfortunate task of operating the boat, didn't appear to be functional in the blistering environmental conditions. In fact, it appeared the ferry hadn't been operated for quite some time. Dried chunks of cooled magma stick to the edges of the boat, securing it to the wall it floated up against it. Mando tried unsuccessfully to pry the rocks loose with the droid's oar, his lack of success further adding to his growing frustration.

"You guys mind getting out of the way?" Cara pushed past him. She took aim at the edge of the boat, blasting away at the hardened rock. Everyone piled on the ferry in a hurry when it began to sway on the surface of the lava, finally freed from the ledge. The sudden movement of the boat making its way downstream brought the tall ferry guide droid to life. Still on edge, the group aimed their blasters defensively at the poor thing simply trying to do its job. It made a few beeps and whistles, translated by IG as it wanting to know where to take the travelers.

"Down river, to the lava flat," Karga instructed. The droid beeped in acknowledgement, humming a happy, high pitched tune to itself as it steered mindlessly through the scorching river. Had their lives not been at stake by the countless Troopers hunting them down, it would've almost almost a peaceful, and much needed, relaxing moment for everyone. Aurelia and Cara leaned back against the edge of the raft, happy to be able to rest for just a moment while they had time to. The orange glow radiating from the lava stream bounced off nearby rocks, creating a mesmerizing sight during the slow trip down river. The warm blanket of heat lingering in the air along with the droid's singing made Aurelia's eyes heavier the longer they floated on. As if on que, Karga directed everyone's attention to the bright white glow at the end of the tunnel.

"That's it. We're free!"

Something didn't sit right with Mando; this was far too easy of an escape. He stared down the remainder of the tunnel through his life form scanner of his helmet, picking up on multiple heat signatures clustered around both sides of the exit.

"No, we're not," he warned. "Stormtroopers. They're flanking the mouth of the tunnel. It looks like an entire platoon. They must know we're coming."

"What do we do now?" Aurelia asked. "I mean, I could try to grapple past them, maybe get their attention-"

"Absolutely not." Mando growled.

"That's not really _your_ call to make, is it?" She fired at the bounty hunter.

"It's suicide. I'm not letting you do something that stupid, especially after Kuiil gave me the task of looking out for you."

"Don't _you dare_ bring him into this," she spat venomously, jamming a finger into his chest plate. "And I'm not another job for you to do, _Mandalorian._ "

The sound of a blaster going off turned their attention to a smoking, headless ferry droid. Cara holstered her weapon, the others looking at her in confusion. "He wouldn't stop the boat," she said her defense.

Karga threw up his hands in exasperation. "Well we're still moving!"

"There are too many to fight," Mando insisted, still not tearing his eyes away from his heated crew member.

The IG unit stepped forward. "They will not be satisfied with anything less than The Child. This is unacceptable. I will eliminate the enemy, and you will escape."

"You don't have that kind of firepower, pal," Mando countered looking the droid's way. "You wouldn't even get to daylight."

"That is not my objective. I still have the security protocols from my manufacturer. If my designs are compromised, I must self-destruct."

"What are you talking about?" Mando asked, even though from his first initial run in with the bounty droid, he knew exactly what protocol IG was referring to. It had threatened to use it on numerous occasions when it seemed as though both Mandalorian and droid were heavily outnumbered by enemies during the initial search and rescue mission for The Child.

"I'm not permitted to be captured. I must be destroyed," IG clarified. "I can no longer carry this for you," it said setting the jetpack down at its feet, "nor can I watch over The Child. Miss Aurelia, it is your responsibility to do so for the remainder of the mission."

"Wait. You can't self-destruct," Mando tried to reason. "Your base command is to watch The Child. That supersedes your manufacturer's protocol, right?"

IG paused thoughtfully for a moment. "This is correct."

"Good. Now grab a blaster and help us shoot our way out."

"Victory through combat is impossible. We will be captured. The Child will be lost. Sadly, there is no scenario where both The Child and Miss Aurelia remain safe, in which I survive. We both have fulfillments that we must see through. Just how you wanted to sacrifice yourself for the safety of your friends, I must do the same."

That hit Mando. _Hard._ He didn't _want_ to die. This wasn't some kamikaze mission where he didn't care what happened to him. The IG unit had a choice in the matter and it needed to understand self-sacrifice wasn't the only way.

"Listen, you're not going anywhere," Mando pleaded, trying hard to hide the desperation in his voice. "We need you. Let's just come with a-"

"Please tell me the child will be safe in your care," IG interrupted. "If you do so, I can default to my secondary command."

"But you'll be destroyed," the Mandalorian's voice wavered.

"And you will live, and I will have served my purpose."

"No, we need you." Mando was thankful his helmet hid his pained expression beneath the layers of tinted glass and beskar.

"There is nothing to be sad about. I have never been alive," IG said indifferently.

"I'm not...sad."

"Yes you are. I'm a nurse droid. I've analyzed your voice."

The rest of the group watched in defeat as IG gently ran the back of its clawed hand over the top of The Child's head. The last bit of human-like affection it showed made it impossible for Aurelia to watch the droid step into flowing river of lava. The way the IG unit was more human than it would care to admit only further reminded her of the Mandalorian; she didn't think either one was fully okay with dying, even if they said otherwise.

The selfless droid marched onwards until it reached the mouth of the tunnel. A bit of movement could be seen around the edges around the rocks. They could see the fidgeting of shadows coming from the Stormtroopers that were gathered along the exit, watching carefully as to what the droid's next move would be. All was still for a moment before an explosion was set off at the exit, causing Aurelia to jump at the sudden violent detonation. There were no screams or cries of pain from the Troopers; just the eerie silence that was occasionally interrupted by the sound of tiny crackling flames and settling debris that remained in the wake of IG's blast.

The boat continued to drift towards through the large dust cloud, everyone raising their weapons in case any survivors had somehow made it out unscathed. There was no sign of life whatsoever at the end of the tunnel.

Their moment of victory and relief, however, was short lived. A TIE fighter swooped in from overhead, heading straight towards the boat. Cara immediately recognized it as the one that had been right outside the common house when the Troopers had ambushed them during their meeting with the client.

"It's Moff Gideon," she spat hatefully.

When the TIE fighter honed in on their position, they knew he was getting ready to strike. Immediately when they darted out of the small boat, Moff Gideon rained down a barrage of blaster cannon fire, sending spewing chunks of hot lava, rock, and wooden debris in every direction. Mando ushered the rest of the group behind a small gathering of rocks in a desperate attempt to take some kind of cover knowing they wouldn't be so lucky the during the next aerial strike.

"What are you _doing?!_ " Cara exclaimed, turning Karga and Aurelia's attention from the incoming TIE fighter to the Mandalorian.

"I have an idea, just...stay here and take cover," he told her. Mando secured the jetpack that was bestowed upon him by the Armorer on his back. He grit his teeth under the new weight of heavy beskar that was added to his exhausted muscles. He only had one shot at this, and even he had to admit it wasn't his most well thought out plan. The safety of The Child was his top priority. That, and Aurelia's too. He glanced down at the smaller woman and noticed the hint of worry in her golden stare. Mando cupped the side of her face carefully, his heart faltering when he saw the way she fought with herself about whether or not to pull away from his touch. Pushing his own emotions to the back of his mind, he had to remind himself of the task at hand.

He didn't say anything else but instead fired up the Rising Phoenix. The sudden jolt upwards elicited a few painful grunts from the bounty hunter due to his head whipping around from the intense force of the jetpack. Mando struggled to maneuver himself properly but eventually managed to follow the path of the TIE fighter and give pursuit to an unsuspecting Moff Gideon. He shot himself forward a bit more and latched onto the top of the starfighter. From the ground, the others couldn't do anything but helplessly watch the tense scene of Mando being bucked around by Gideon. The TIE fighter weaved in and out of the thick covering of clouds, causing them to lose sight of the Mandalorian for a few passing moments. Karga nudged the two others when a bright, metallic shimmer caught his eye; Mando was falling back to the surface of Nevarro. A loud explosion permeated through the atmosphere, ripping their focus on the bounty hunter to the giant fireball that erupted above him. The TIE fighter disintegrated in a massive explosion, large portions of the ship splitting off and crashing hard into the landscape around them.

Mando recovered himself before he got too close to the ground, making a shaky landing next to the mouth of the tunnel they came out of.

Karga let out a boisterous laugh upon approaching the bounty hunter. "That was impressive, Mando," the Guild leader cheered. "Very impressive. It looks like your Guild rates have just gone up."

"Any more Stormtroopers?" Mando asked, completely unfazed by his one on one fight with a TIE fighter.

Cara shook her head. "I think we cleaned up the town. I'm thinking of staying around just to be sure."

"You're staying here?" He asked in slight disbelief.

"Well, why not?" Karga frowned. "Nevarro is a very fine planet. And now that the scum and villainy have been washed away, it's very respectable again.  
"As a bounty hunter hive?" Mando asked sarcastically.

Karga grinned and let out a soft chuckle. "Some of my favorite people are bounty hunters." He motioned to Cara. "Perhaps, this specimen of soldier might consider joining our ranks."

The dropper looked over the landscape thoughtfully. "Yeah, I've got some clerical concerns regarding my chain code."

"If you would agree to become my enforcer, clerical concerns would be the least of your worries. But you, my friend," Karga said sharing a finger at Mando, "you will be welcome back into the Guild with open arms. So, go off, enjoy yourself. And when you're ready to return, you will have the pick of all quarries."

The Mandalorian tilted his helmet towards the little foundling that clung tightly to his leg. He let out a sigh then reached down to scoop up the infant. "I'm afraid I have more pressing matters at hand."

Cara approached the father and son pair. She smiled down at the mischievous child, stroking one of it long ears in between her fingertips lovingly while it cooed. "Take care of this little one, and Aurelia too."

Karga placed a hand on the pilot's shoulder, his eyes looking into hers bidding her a silent goodbye. "Or maybe...they'll take care of you."

Mando passed The Child to Aurelia, a sigh of relief threatening to pass his lips when he saw the warmth return to her eyes at the sight of the infant so happy to see her. Such a feeling was short lived when Mando interrupted the sweet moment between the pair.

"Hold the kid tight," he instructed. He scooped her up, holding her tight against his chest and praying to the Maker that he would be able to control the Phoenix enough just to make it back to the ship in one piece.

The Child babbled excitedly, its mouth wide open and a few giggles escaping when they took off and flew high above the lava flats. Even Aurelia couldn't contain the corners of her smile that peeked out from underneath her scarf and the excitement that danced in her golden orbs.

* * *

Mando felt her tense up in her arms when they descended upon the Razor Crest. She was happy to see the ship again, but what lay unmoving just a few feet from the entrance ramp made even Mando's heart drop.

He watched the way she tried to hide the way her legs wanted to buckle underneath her the closer she got to Kuiil's body laying at the base of the Crest. Her body finally gave out when she closed in on the last bit of space between her and the Ugnaught. The exposed fingertips of her gloved hands traced over the bottom of the scarf around her neck. She pulled it loose and down around her shoulders, the ends of the long fabric brushing up against the dry, cracked ground.

Neither she nor Mando said a word to each other while she carefully wrapped the moisture farmer up in the long strand of thick, black cloth. Mando pried his eyes from her and tried think of what he could could use to dig a small grave with and give him a proper burial.

Kuiil was the first person to show Aurelia kindness and expected nothing in return after so many years of being exposed to nothing but sadistic hatred and manipulation every single day. To die at the hands of the Empire was a cruel twist of faith that she would never be able to let herself live down. Kuill worked so hard for his freedom, in fact, he prided himself in it. His selflessness got him killed by the same people that tried to break his kind, generous spirit.

Mando laid Kuiil down gently in the bottom of the grave he had dug out near the Crest. Aurelia held tightly onto The Child who let out a few whimpers and sniffles. Though it might not of fully understood the magnitude of the situation of Kuiil's self-sacrifice, the little foundling could easily feel the sadness coming from both of his caretakers. Knowing they were hurting so made The Child feel similarly.

" **Mahn valle ehin uhl Sahsahlah. Aanor il lofahchu ishiia zals. Doaba ol'val tru, min dul'skal,"** Aurelia spoke quietly over the Mandalorian tossing the rich volcanic dirt over her fallen friend.

Mando turned to look at her but before she allowed him any time to take in her appearance once more, she turned and headed up the ramp into the Razor Crest. He took the moment of solitude to pay his respects to Kuiil one last time, silently thanking him for his sacrifice and for putting the safety of The Child before himself.

His stomach twisted into knots when he climbed up the ladder and saw Aurelia sitting in the centermost chair starting straight ahead outside the cockpit, one of her spare long scarves tied extra securely around her neck and face.

"Where to?" Was all she said, not even bothering to turn and look back at the man staring her down.

"That was beautiful, what you said," Mando remarked in regards to her parting words to Kuiil. "I don't recognize the language, but it sounded beauti-"

"Old Corellian," Aurelia said bluntly. "It's not spoken anymore by much of anyone. My mother picked it up during her years meeting traders who passed through her cantina. She taught it to my father, and he and his soldiers used it during their missions for the sake of secrecy. Now tell me, Mando, where are we going?"

He was blindsided by the harshness of her answer. It took him a second to gather this thoughts and give her a proper plan. Truthfully, he hadn't even thought of what their next destination would be. Mando knew he wanted to take it easy for a few weeks at the very least. He needed to recuperate, as did Aurelia after the physical but more so emotional toll their visit to Nevarro had taken on her. Obviously, she wasn't in the same frame of mind she had been in since before today. She was cold, distant, and more closed off than ever before. Mando wasn't an idiot; he knew Kuill's death had a large role to play in her behavior. He couldn't be upset with her for that and he knew she needed time to grieve as did he, in his own way. He knew the straw that broke the dewback's back had to have been him almost dying on top of the loss of the Ugnaught. What he didn't understand though, was why she didn't even seem to care that he was fine after all.

"Dantooine," he spoke up when the name of the planet was the first to pop into his mind. "It's quiet. We'll lay low for a while and regroup there."

Aurelia locked herself in the refresher once the navigation had been set and she, much to her annoyance, manually determined the calculations for hyperspace. She was hoping the fact that the IG unit had ended up on the Mandalorian's good side would provide any leverage she needed to convince him into getting an astromech droid in the distant future.

Stars, the future? She had never really thought about such a thing with Mando before. They kind of just...took one day at a time. How long was this going to go on for? They knew now there was some kind of "deadline" coming up as far as how long she would need to stick around. Now that they were actively trying to rehome the kid, well, there wouldn't be any use for her anymore once that was over. They could find these "Jedi" tomorrow, a week, or even a year from now. Absolutely nothing was certain about what was to come. Even then, how long would she be able to tolerate the complete state of emotional disarray she was in?

Aurelia turned on the water to as hot as it would allow. She let down her knotted, dirt and volcanic ash covered tresses and slowly removed each layer of clothing. She winced at how sore her fatigued muscles were from the battle on Nevarro. Her legs were tired from the constant walking and fleeing they did all day, and the burn marks from the Stormtrooper's blaster that grazed her were still raw and irritated.

A thick cloud of steam had begun to collect in the cramped washroom but she didn't mind. The overly hot shower was the only thing that felt good to her right now. She let the burning cascade of fiery water droplets wash away the dried blood and dirt off her skin. It didn't take long for her to clean herself, but she didn't want to venture out to the rest of the Crest quite yet. She was enjoying her moment of quiet, especially away from the Mandalorian. Unbeknownst to her, something caught his attention when he finished tucking The Child into the swing that hung above his cot. He felt wrong for doing so, but he brought his helmet to the refresher door when he heard Aurelia stirring inside. He wasn't expecting to hear her muffled sobs over the sound of the running shower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We passed 1k hits the other day right after chapter 8 was posted and I am LIVING y'all. That might seem super insignificant to some but I can't thank y'all enough for all the love, support, comments, and kudos. I've been writing for years but kept everything to myself so having the courage to post this, get feedback, and to hear that people actually are enjoying it means so much!
> 
> Translations:  
> "Mahn valle ehin uhl Sahsahlah. Aanor il lofahchu ishiia zals. Doaba ol'val tru, min dul'skal" = May you peace in the promised land. Love and loyalty conquers all. Farewell, my friend
> 
> "Ad'ika" = little one
> 
> "Mesh'la" = beautiful


	10. The Village

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> selenium-drive.tumblr.com

Mando was always the kind of person who enjoyed his personal space. He didn't mind the peace and quiet solitude that came with living alone on the Razor Crest. Being a bounty hunter called for his guard to constantly be up, his conversations with others short, and his ship and what was on it, the only possessions he had to his name. He didn't have time for friendship, didn't have time to treat himself to luxuries in life, and he especially didn't have to worry about anyone else other than himself. The kid changed all that, and so did she.

The Child was the first thing to that Mando ever had to take on the responsibility of caring for. It taught him patience and proved that underneath all that cold, hard, beskar armor, there was something other than just a ruthless bounty hunter. Without The Child, he wouldn't know Aurelia. She succeeded in further chipping away at his tough exterior, and that scared him. No, it was more than that. She was the burning blue flame that melted straight through his beskar. A man that used to not have time for meals other than ration bars or bland bone broth was craving home cooked delicacies. The stoic hunter who rarely cracked a smile underneath his helmet was engaging in witty banter and grinning in amusement though no one else saw. The touch starved Mandalorian who had grown used to being so alone, craved the feather light touches of soft fingertips against his skin. So when Mando sat there in the cockpit, alone and staring mindlessly in the vast expanse of hyperspace while he tended to his own wounds, well, he felt...off. The usual relaxing hum of the engines and faint whirring of machinery throughout the Crest usually soothed his tired mind after each job he completed. This time, it only served as a painstaking reminder of how alone he used to be when he would come home to an empty ship, and how desolate the ship felt now even though his pilot was sleeping soundly down below.

He acted like he hadn't heard her crying in the shower when they returned from their disaster of a mission on Nevarro. Maker, it pained him to ignore her, but he did. He saw the look she gave him when he made her leave him to die. He saw it every time he closed his eyes. He didn't know why it bothered him the way it did. Maybe it was because no one usually gave a damn whenever he left them behind.

He cursed himself for even being conceited enough to think that might have been the reason why she was upset. They had just buried the closest thing to her father since her real one had passed when she was a child. Kuiil saved her life and gave her the opportunity for a new beginning. He understood Aurelia on a level that the Mandalorian knew he never could.

Mando flinched at the chilling sensation the bacta mist caused when it made contact with his bruised and battered skin. The life-threatening injury he sustained from the E-Web explosion had dulled to an annoying throb across the back of his head. He had a few minor lacerations on his face and he could feel one of his eyes swelling underneath, but it wasn't anything that wouldn't heal on its own. He did his best to apply some of the bacta they had left to his deeper wounds on his chest and back. It was after he had finished he felt annoyed with himself for using their medical supplies haphazardly. He had forgotten Aurelia gave Cara some to use when Karga was attacked by the reptivian. He made a mental note to himself that they would have to stock up on some later.

As the white noise coming from the electrical equipment became more deafening to the Mandalorian hunter, he absent-mindedly fidgeted with the navigation controls. Aurelia had set the course for Dantooine what felt like hours ago. They still had a ways to go before they reached the lush forest and grassland planet. In all truthfulness, Mando had never been there before. It was the first planet to pop into his mind under the pressure of Aurelia's heavy stare when she asked where to go to next. He had heard it was peaceful and quiet; that's what he said his reasoning was for wanting to settle there for a bit. This was true; Dantooine was a relatively laid back planet. It was also full of nature. He had heard of the vast acres of rolling hills and farmlands that stretched across the green expanse of land. There were many rivers and streams that etched themselves deep in the surface of Dantooine, something he knew his pilot enjoyed relaxing in. He saw how happy and tranquil she looked when she dipped her feet in the vibrant blue waters on Batuu, even if it was only because she was doing laundry. When they landed on Sorgan, he noticed then how lively she had become looking at the nature rich environment. It only made sense that Dantooine seemed like a good choice to settle down on for the time being. It would give Mando the chance to lay low for a bit with The Child during his recovery, and it would hopefully bring life back into Aurelia after all she had been through.

Mando sighed heavily, his eyes scanning over the list of numerical values on one of the control panel screens through the dark tint of his visor. In his fatigued state, he tried to make sense of the coordinates and hyperspace algorithms that would tell him how long it would be until they reached their destination. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and various unfamiliar emotions, his body more worn and weary that it had been in quite a long time. All of his muscles began to sink themselves into the subtle crevices and imprints that formed to his body after the many years spent piloting his ship. The swirling tunnel of blue and white space became rather hypnotizing to look at. It wasn't long after Mando nestled further into the pilot's seat, did sleep conquer the bounty hunter.

* * *

It was an obnoxious, repetitive beeping noise that caused the Mandalorian to stir. Mando rocked his head to the side, trying to come to grips with what was going on in his delirious state. The non-stop whine coming from the hyperdrive controls continued to blast through his helmet's sound sensors, informing Mando that they were minutes away from touching down on Dantooine. He disabled the Crest's hyperspace settings and slowly maneuvered the ship's controls forward to avoid them lurching to a sudden stop. The Razor Crest's cockpit view suddenly filled with the black backdrop of space. Distant stars twinkled from a far off distance, peppering his view with a brilliant, endless display of the cosmos. The main sight to behold, however, was the incoming green and blue planet painted with occasional streaks of thick white clouds floating in its atmosphere.

Mando brought his ship down further towards the planet's surface. He cruised slowly over the endless sea of vegetation and trees, taking in the sight of where they would be living for the time being. The dense forest they flew over began to transition into sparse collections of trees more widely spaced out from one another. A few bodies of water seemed to branch out over the grassland, weaving trails in and out of nearby farms. Not too far off in the distance, Mando could easily make out what appeared to be a moderately sized village. He decided the location he was currently scouting out was more than ideal to suit their needs; the forest could provide them with whatever privacy they needed, yet at the same time, civilization didn't appear to be too far away.

He landed the ship in a break in the trees. The tripod landing gear legs of the Crest flattened down the taller waves of rolling grass once the vessel had finally touched down. Mando scoured over the forest and grassland through the view from the cockpit; all seemed still with no visible threats arounds. He activated the ramp using the control pad on his vambrace, the hiss and grind of the ship's machinery stirring both Aurelia and The Child from their deep sleep. Mando climbed down to the first floor of the ship to get the rest of his crew moving for the day.

"Hey," he knocked lightly on the interior walls of the Crest. The door to the cot slid back, revealing a swollen eyed pilot and a rather cranky child. "We just landed. I'm going to look around for a minute before heading into town. There's a village nearby where we can stock up on supplies, maybe even see if they have lodging available."  
Aurelia averted her gaze to side of the Mandalorian's boots. Judging by how puffy her eyelids looked, Mando knew she had been crying even long after he initially heard her the night before. "I think you'll like it here. You should come and see when you get a chance."

She nodded and pulled her scarf tighter around her, still avoiding looking into Mando's visor. Her long black hair rolled down her back messily in every which way when she stood to pull The Child down from the hammock swinging overhead. "Let me dress and feed him first," she finally spoke up. Her voice was raspy and broken sounding, not the confident and lively tone Mando had grown used to hearing. He couldn't bring himself to say anything in response. The Child's incoherent babbling, probably about how hungry and tired it still was, filled the awkward silence between both adults. It was after Aurelia climbed up the ladder with the foundling clinging to her side, was Mando finally able to pry himself from where he stood to depart the Crest.

The surrounding area where the ship had landed seemed peaceful enough. A few creaking branches and rustling leaves startled Mando when he first started looking around. The on edge bounty hunter quickly learned it was nothing but some of the smaller creatures and birds that found solace around the nearby stream, and that he peaked their curiosity by invading their homeland. They scampered off once they took one look at the broad armored man, something he was rather used to. It was the reaction of the townspeople once they caught a glimpse of him, Aurelia, and The Child that truly caught him off guard.

The way these people looked on at the approaching newcomers traveling down the dirt road leading to their village was something that Mando hadn't experienced before. Typically, the strangers he encountered were the type scatter whenever he walked into a room. These civilians made eye contact, smiled, and nodded a greeting in his direction; they actually took a second to stop whatever work they were doing to do so.

"It's not very often we see a Mandalorian around these parts, and I don't recall ever meeting a Kage in person," a low but feminine voice spoke up. Mando halted in place, his body shifting to a more defensive stance when he heard he was being addressed. A tall, slender woman came into view; her arms were casually crossed in front of her chest, her tone slightly playful and the smile in her eyes matched. She extended the palm of one hand up as an offering of peace to the bounty hunter. "Most people who come here nowadays are looking for a place to get away or live out the rest of their lives serenely. I can't say you strike me as such."

"It just so happens that that's exactly what brought us here," Mando answered a little temperamentally.

The woman chuckled in amusement. "I hope you don't think of me as rude. We always welcome travelers here, so as long as they hold the peace. My name is Miria. If there is anything I can assist you in, it would be of no burden for me to do so. I know you must of traveled far to come here for relaxation, maybe even for healing. I can offer you lodging within our village, if you would like."

Mando's shifted his weight onto one foot and looked up at her curiously. "What do you charge?"

"You need not spend your credits for a roof over your head here. The only thing I ask for is for you to give back to the land and its people. If you see your neighbor working hard in the fields, render them aid. If the fish won't swim into their net, cast your own out for them. To aid one another, also brings peace to oneself."

"That's a rather odd exchange," he said bluntly.

"The people of this town are simple and hardworking. We pride ourselves in our ability to grow some of the best produce in all the galaxy. Because of this, we have bustling trade relationships throughout many sectors. Our soil is always fertile, our weather mild, and the rich foliage the Maker has blessed Dantooine with, allows the creatures we hunt to provide us with the best meats as well. This is how we make our income; not by profiting from someone wanting a roof over their head and a bed to sleep on each night."

"That's very kind of you," Aurelia answered for her partner. "It's not very common to find that level of generosity nowadays."

"It's what gives us the reputation we have," Miria smiled. "I would be correct in saying that's what made you know to come here, yes?"

"I suppose it is," Mando answered half-truthfully. "Thank you for your hospitality. We would like to take you up on your offer."

* * *

Mando wasn't exactly sure how long the days were on Dantooine. He had lost track of time already between them landing and settling in town, which was about a 10 minute walk from the ship. All of their personal items and a few weapons had been brought along with them. The rest of their belongings, Mando had left behind on the Crest and was well protected under the ship's tight security measures. Miria had shown them around the village briefly before directing them to a small grouping of vacant cottages reserved for travelers. The guest homes were small but cozy and a little bare save for basic furniture and cookware. It was more than Mando, Aurelia, and The Child were used to having from living on the Crest. The modest living quarters they would temporarily call home for the time being seemed like a palace in comparison to how they had been living before. Mando had to admit he was a little thrilled about the idea of sleeping in a normal human sized bed rather than the small, broke down cot in the Crest or upright in the cockpit's chair. He had laid down in hopes of closing his eyes for a brief moment, his body still not back to normal after the events that transpired on Nevarro. It must of been a few hours that had passed in him doing so, for when he woke, the room was fairly dark save for a few dull rays of dying sunlight that shone through the edges of his bedroom curtains. All was silent except for the faint melodic humming that managed to slip under the door and flow through his helmet. The faint smell of seasoned bluefish grilling on a nearby stove top was enough to make the Mandalorian's empty stomach growl in protest over being withheld food for so long. He rose from the comfort of the luxurious mattress, ignoring how his still injured body begged him to sink back into the bedding for just a few more hours. He knew just because he was comfortable, didn't mean he was safe. Getting lazy and dropping his guard would only endanger those he was supposed to look after.

He couldn't deny how his throat suddenly became a little more dry and the temperature in his flight suit increased a bit more when he saw Aurelia in the kitchen with The Child. His eyes traced over her tanned bare arms, something he didn't see too often since they were constantly obscured by the jacket, gloves, and gauntlets she wore on their missions. She was still wearing her scarf, something that bothered him greatly. He already knew what she looked like under there but her unwillingness to show herself to him again confirmed her severance of trust with the hunter. Mando knew he was staring a little too long at her from afar. He stepped forward, the heaviness of his steps weighed down from his armor caused the floorboards to creaked underneath his boots, the squeak coming from the wooden panels jostling the nearby woman and child.

"Kriff, Mando," she cursed harshly under her breath. "You scared me."

Mando looked away, suddenly finding himself unable to tolerate the harsh stare she sent his way. He instead focused on the ecstatic little foundling seated besides her on the countertop. Its little arms and claws reached out happily towards its father. A few audible coos and giggles coming from the foundling thankfully began to lighten the tense mood in the small kitchenette.

"I'm sorry. I was just seeing if you needed anything. I can help, or I can take the kid."

Aurelia shook her head. "He's about to eat soon if you want to watch him then. It looks like he missed you."

Mando took a few more timid steps towards the pair. Aurelia tensed up a bit the closer he got. She shifted her weight uncomfortably from one foot to another. One hand reached out to grasp the side of the counter near the stove, the other stirring the contents in the pan a little more forcefully. She couldn't help but follow Mando's movements carefully from the corner of her eye when she noticed him affectionately rubbing his son's long pointed ears. "Sorry kid," Mando said gently. "You know I hate leaving you for too long." Though his words were seemingly focused towards The Child, Mando's eyes behind his visor were not. He watched Aurelia closely, noticing how each time his deep baritone swept past his modulator, she gripped the edge of the counter just a little bit harder. Feeling brave, he decided to push his luck. His next words weren't necessarily meant for the foundling. "You know I wouldn't leave you behind."

Aurelia shoved the spoon down on the countertop, her shoulders tense as both hands lay flat on either side of her. "Go sit with him," she commanded disdainfully. Even The Child whined apprehensively due to her sudden change in demeanor.

Mando didn't say anything but instead scooped The Child off the ledge of the counter. He sat himself down at the small dining table nearby, drumming his fingers against his lap nervously with one hand and clutching The Child closely against him with the other. His nerves were on fire when the clattering of plates and pans behind him had settled. He could feel Aurelia making her way closer to the table.

Mando flinched when she walked behind him and reached over his shoulder to set a plate down, her long hair brushing up against his shoulders in the process. His posture stiffened and the memory of setting up camp for the night in Nevarro came flooding back to his mind. Once more could he feel the way her back felt pressed up against his, her small frame protectively tucked safely behind his much broader form. He remembered digging his elbows into her sides playfully to get her to stop her quips towards Karga, the faint grin under his helmet at her commentary deterring him from his serious conversation. He felt her twitch in response to his jabs, involuntarily pushing herself into him more in the process. It drove him mad. When he dove on top of her out of protection from the incoming reptivian attack that followed shortly after, he couldn't bring himself to pull away despite her arguing. Mando knew she could take care of herself. He knew she was capable of fighting them off, but he couldn't bring himself to let go. She was completely ruining him. This woman was undermining every belief he had of not developing relationships of any kind with someone. He hadn't noticed how he was changing until she began to pull herself away. It was like he was a spice addict, thriving and living normally until he had begun to run out. The withdrawals were setting in, and he didn't quite understand what he had until it was slipping through his fingers.

Mando immediately regretted turning around and reaching out for her as she passed by. She slapped his hand away at the contact with her free hand, something she hadn't done since they were practically strangers. The slight stinging sensation on his wrist was nothing compared to the shock of how caught off guard he was.

He wanted to apologize, to ask what he could to to make it better, to get her to finally look at him again and say more than a few words that didn't all relate to how The Child was doing. He wanted to see her face once more in all its beauty, to see her real smile and not just the way the corner of her eyes would crinkle when she did under her scarf. The bounty hunter desperately wanted her companionship and her forgives, but alas, apologizing is not his strong suit, nor was showing weakness. Mandalorians weren't meant to show such feelings.

"I was just going to ask if you wanted me to feed the kid," he lied defensively.

Aurelia placed a napkin around The Child who was still held tight in Mando's arms, struggling not to pull away when she felt her bare fingertips brush up against the smooth, worn leather of his gloves. She hastily set the foundling's plate next to the Mandalorian, muttering something under her breath about her cleaning the kitchen when they were finished eating. She turned on her heel and walked towards her room, shutting the door softly behind her before sinking onto the edge of the bed. A small defeated sigh slipped past her lips and she held back the stinging sensation of developing tears that threatened to fall. Her resolve was breaking and she despised herself for letting it. She didn't want to let the Mandalorian back in, not after Nevarro. He made himself clear that he wasn't someone meant to get close to. The way that they were, nothing could ever come of it. As much as it terrified her, the thought of leaving had crossed Aurelia's mind. She knew it would devastate The Child, and she couldn't bear to break its little heart. It still needed to be cared for until it was reunited with the Jedi, and she knew Mando couldn't do it alone.

Aurelia inhaled deeply, trying hard to steady her nerves. She exhaled slowly and rolled her shoulders back in an attempt to relieve any tension she was feeling. No matter times she had to tell herself it, she would stay for the kid, and only the kid. The entire time she was saying those words in her head, her fingertips absentmindedly traced over where the bounty hunter grabbed her moments ago.

* * *

Unable to sleep and displeased with himself for acting out without thinking, Mando took The Child for a walk around the peaceful town. It felt safe enough to do so, even in the later hours of the evening. The sun had gone down completely by this point. A thin curtain of stars draped across the sky overhead along with the bright glow of Dantooine's two moons, cast a soft illuminating glow over the village. A few people wandered the dirt pathways chatting happily amongst themselves. The strangers once again dipped their heads down in acknowledgement and smiled happily at The Child when they passed by the Mandalorian and his foundling. The sense of actually being welcome somewhere was something Mando was still far from used to. The only time he was treated such a way as an outsider was back on Sorgan.

His footsteps began to draw to a slower pace when he picked up on loud chatter and boisterous laugher further down the street. Tucked away near a few storefronts appeared to be a public fire pit and seating area accompanied by a small handful of men, a couple of half drank bottles of spotchka at their feet. Mando came to a complete stop when he noticed their slightly intoxicated state and stooped down to protectively hold the kid who stared curiously at the group.

"Hey! Mando! Come over here!" One of the men called out. Mando locked onto a tall looking man with dirty blonde hair waving him over. The hunter hesitated for a moment, not exactly sure what to do or what these people were expecting from him. Was he going to be given another job to do? Were they going to ask him a favor? Was there someone they needed tracked down and returned for paymen-

"Come have a drink, will you?"

Oh.

"I'm going to have to pass, but thank you for the offer," Mando called back.

The man chuckled to himself and tapped his head in reference to the bounty hunter's helmet. "Right, I'm sorry. But hey, come and sit anyways. We haven't had time to introduce ourselves yet."

He let out another small laugh when Mando still refused to move. "You don't go out much, do you? Well, the names Tallis Karaay. Going down the row here is Aden, Ezrith, and Keldav. We do a lot of the hunting and fishing for the rest of the townspeople, if that's something you'd wanna join us in one day. Have you hunted before?"

Mando didn't reply but a slight tilt of his helmet in an unamused fashion said all he needed to. The group cackled amongst themselves once Tallis realized the stupidity of his question.

"Right. Maybe I should've been more specific. Have you hunted _animals_ before?"

"A few times," Mando answered dryly.

"Good!" Tallis smiled. "We could use you on our next hunt, if you were interested that is."

Mando nodded stiffly and started to turn back towards the direction of the house. "We'll see. Thank you."

"Don't mention it! We'll catch you around!"

A collection of waves from the men further caught the Mandalorian off guard. The people here seemed so welcoming and nice that it almost made him almost uncomfortable. He nodded his head in response and started walking back the direction he came. The Child peeked out from over his side and returned the wave to the others, their laugher and continuation of their conversations fading away as they left their sight.

* * *

**Day 4:**

The next few mornings consisted of Aurelia waking up early to venture out to the market place to look over what new foods she could treat the kid to. She enjoyed getting there right when the vendors were finishing setting up their displays. It allowed her to get first pick of whatever goods they were selling and make conversation with people before they got too busy. She wasn't a total extrovert by any means, but living with only a babbling child and closed off Mandalorian made her desperate for socialization at times. There were some days where Mando was more talkative than most. He would engage her with a few witty, dry remarks here and there or they would bicker about something wrong with the ship or the kid, but other days, they passed each other by in silence or said just a handful of sentences to each other. Most of Mando's affections were through actions and tasks he completed for other people such as how he looked after Aurelia and The Child. She was similar in the sense that words were not her specialty. It was hard for her to open up or feel like she was saying the right things while getting out everything that she felt. Kuiil had really been the only one she would verbally tell how much he meant to her.

The marketplace was a little but busier today than previously before. There were a few vendors that Aurelia hadn't seen before, one of which was run by a miraluka woman standing by a basket of vibrantly colored berries, a crate of plump fruit, and other beautiful grown vegetables. She smiled when she felt the pilot approach her stand.

"Good morning. You're the newcomer traveling with the Mandalorian and child, are you not?"

"I am," Aurelia answered, her golden gaze scouring over the woman's pale features, short white hair, and cloth covered eyes. She couldn't help but think how they were total opposites of each other.

"Well then, welcome to Dantooine. This is such a beautiful planet, full of life and many who appreciate it. I must say, you three stand out from many visitors I've come across before."

Aurelia cautiously set down the fruit name she was holding in her hand, eyeing the woman carefully.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it in a bad way," the woman said apologetically. "You just have a different aura about you, I suppose. It's much more...intense than most."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"A good thing, I suppose. It makes you more eye catching." She giggled at her own joke. "I'm sorry, my name's Shriva."

"Tajana."

Shriva looked at her sideways and hesitated a split second, sensing the dishonesty of being given an alias. She didn't question it, however. In fact, it only further intrigued her.

Aurelia opened up the coin bag nestled on her hip. She sighed when she realized her lack of funds. The truth was, Mando hadn't paid her yet for this month. She knew money was a bit tight because of him being cut off from the Guild. The jobs he had previously taken were barely enough for them to get by on as is. He paid her well even though they both knew it was taking a decent sized chunk out of what money he brought in; it was why she had declined payment previously for the sake of the living a bit more comfortably. It's not like she bought much of anything herself anyways.

"Tell you what," Shriva said thoughtfully, "grab a few things to take with you, but later this afternoon, come to my farm on the outskirts of town. I'd be happy to show you around. I have a few jybbuk fruit trees that need tending to, nothing super laborious. You can even take some home with you once we're finished."

Aurelia beamed with excitement. She had such a newfound love for nature after living on such desolate, dry land like Tattooine for a majority of her life. To try her hand at farming, even for a little bit, made her ecstatic. It also helps that she had heard about how sweet jybbuk fruit tasted. She knew The Child had a bit of a sweet tooth and it would be a delicacy to bring back home.

* * *

Mando shuffled about the empty guest house looking for something that he could do. He knew Aurelia had ventured off on her own again with The Child to the market. The truth is, he had begun to miss her company. Even on the days around the ship where they didn't have much to say to each other or one was sleeping and the other was keeping busy around the Crest, they still had gotten used to the idea of someone else being around. Her dodging him made him rather lonely, as pathetic as it was for him to admit it. Mando was so used to being alone until she and The Child came into his life. Having a taste of having an actual "family" again had begun to make him not want to go back to being a desolate bounty hunter. It seemed that with her pulling away and him given the task of rehoming the kid, he had no choice in the matter.

It wasn't only solitude that was driving the Mandalorian into a depressed frame of mind. He was so constantly used to being on the go, having to repair this or that or go to one planet or another. Actually settling down was always a bit of a culture shock that he never could quite get used to. Part of his mind was instinctually on guard 24-7, and the other part wasn't fully accustomed to the idea of "taking it easy". On Sorgan, he had taken out the raiders that traumatized the village he and Cara were staying in. They spent their time training the civilians how to fight and kept themselves busy modifying the town's defenses. He would spar with the veteran shock trooper off and on and would watch over both the local children and his own son as they played. This time was a bit different.

Mando and Aurelia came to Dantooine for a bit of a break and recovery of some sort. The idea sounded nice initially, but now that they were actually there, Mando didn't know what to do with himself. There was no one to train with, no one to fight off, and no one he knew to watch over. He was just another... _person._ Domestic life was so incredibly foreign to him. Not wanting to lounge around all day but unsure of what jobs he could do around town, he decided to step out of his comfort zone a bit further and walk around the village.

"Mando, hold up a second!" A faintly familiar voice called out to him. Not particularly in the mood for awkward small talk, the hunter sighed deeply under his breath when he realized who was trying to get his attention: it was one of the men he stumbled upon a few nights before, Tallis, right? 

"Hey!" The younger man greeted excitedly. "Sorry to bother you. It's just my wife and I both wanted to ask you something."

Mando looked up at him in confusion. "Your wife?"

Tallis scratched the back of his head nervously, letting out an amused snicker. "Hey don't sound so surprised. She always does her best to make sure visitors feel welcome here. She does a lot of the maintenance on the spare houses we rent out to travelers. When Miria told her you had moved in temporarily and you and your wife had a child, she was ecstatic. See, she loves kids-"

" _My_ wife?" Mando interrupted loudly.

Tallis began to turn a bright shade of red. He muttered a quick apology yet stumbled over his words, trying to recover himself before he angered the intimidating hunter. "Okay, now you really do sound surprised. That woman you came here with? Oh Maker, I'm sorry. We all thought...oops."

"She just works for me."

"O-oh. Gotcha. Well my wife and I, we...we can't have any of our own. Kids, that is. Any time anyone in town needs a babysitter, they always come to us first because it makes her happy to do so. If you ever need someone to watch the kid other than yourself or your...friend..." he trailed off and shrugged.

Mando shuffled his feet a bit apprehensively, not quite sure how to continue with their conversation. "I'm sorry. Thank you for the offer. That's very kind of you both."

"Don't mention it. Anyways, the guys from last night and I are heading out in a few hours to go check out some of the traps we set out for the Iriaz that wander around here. It can get a little hairy at times if some bigger creatures get drawn to them too in hopes of an easy meal so we could use an extra set of eyes out there."

Mando looked at Tallis questionably. It wasn't exactly the type of hunting he was used to, but at least this way he would be able to keep himself busy. "I suppose I could for a while."

"Okay! Hey, anything we catch, we'll be sure to give you some as a thanks!"

* * *

**Day 10:**

He figured he would humor the younger villager and go just this once to join him and his friends on their hunting trips. For the next several days, Mando had been spending almost every evening out checking the traps Tallis and the others had set up. They usually finish their inspections with a bottle of spotchka shared around a fire, something Mando still hadn't participated in yet. Though he was getting more comfortable around the others here, Mando was still naturally standoffish. Thankfully, the others didn't take it to heart. They knew not to push him and that he came from a different background other than their own. It was refreshing to see strangers not hounding the Mandalorian for a glimpse as to what he looked like under his helmet or him being pestered as to why he couldn't take it off. Tallis was respectful and someone Mando had deemed safe to call a friend. His wife, Anaeli, had gone so far as to gain the Mandalorian's trust as well. She tended to their own small patch of land that they had along the river and snuck freshly grown berries to The Child on the days her husband and Mando were busy inspecting their irrigation system. Her willingness to watch after other children in the town made it easy for The Child to bond with others and make friends. Though he know he should've been happy for his son, all it did was create more and more guilt for the Mandalorian. He knew he was once again setting the kid and himself up for a normal life only for them to have to leave it eventually. There was no such thing as stability in their lives, nor did it seem like there would ever be.

Aurelia herself had begun to socialize more around town. She was met with many delighted smiles and thoughtful conversations by various shopkeepers during her morning visits to the bazaar. The miraluka woman she had been working alongside with the past few days had begun to tear down her closed off exterior. Normally, Mando would've been grateful that his crew member had slowly begun to return to her normal self. He would walk into their shared living space each night to find her humming a small tune to The Child. Her demeanor seemed warmer and more inviting all around. She seemed so much happier being here, something that Mando found bittersweet. He wasn't the cause of her happiness. In fact, he saw himself as the thing that had taken it away in the first place.

He had been feeling a bit better since arriving on Dantooine. His wounds were healed, he was well rested each day, and most importantly, The Child seemed delighted to be living here. It was like Sorgan all over again, but this time neither were wanted and had a bounty attached to their names. Still, Mando was constantly reminded that they couldn't stay forever. They had an obligation to the kid that needed to be fulfilled. It wouldn't be much longer until they were on their way again, picking up bounties to cover their living expenses and searching for these Jedi the Armorer spoke of.

Speaking of the Armorer, now that Mando had fully recuperated, he took it upon himself to practice with the Phoenix. He woke early just in time for Aurelia to get back from browsing around the different shops and come home with new treats for The Child. Mando collected the still sleeping infant from its crib and stepped outside to meet her at their front door.

"Good morning," he greeted nervously. It was the first time he initiated a conversation with her since they arrived on Dantooine.

She eyed him rather cautiously, her fingers nervously picking at the burlap sack of produce she carried in her arms. "Morning."

"I'm...sorry to ask this. I know you've been watching him a lot but he enjoys going to the farm with you..."

"It's just because he gets to snack the whole time," she added half-heartedly. Her heart fluttered when she picked up on the light chuckle that passed through the hunter's modulator.

"Maybe. But do you mind watching him for a second? I need to go back to the ship for a bit. There's some stuff I need to work on."

"Isn't that my job?" Aurelia asked curiously.

"Not like that. The Rising Phoenix the Armorer gave me back on Nevarro...I haven't trained with it yet. I figured I should now that I've recovered."

"Oh," she said quietly. Mando winced when he saw whatever tiny bit of compassion she had when she was talking to him, disappear at the recollection of him nearly dying in her arms. "Yeah, that's fine Mando. Let me take him. We'll be near the river. I have laundry to catch up on while he's sleeping."

She quickly took The Child from his arms and pushed past him to grab the pram and dirty clothes from the inside of their cottage. Mando watched her for a moment until she disappeared from out of his view, then he ventured back towards the direction of the Crest to retrieve his newest beskar addition. Strapping on the rather heavyweight jetpack, he stepped back down the ramp and initiated the ship's security protocols once more.

Firing up the Phoenix, Mando slowly brought himself up to hover just over the top of the Crest, then over the tops of the nearby trees. Before, he piloted the jetpack out of pure adrenaline and lack of another option to take down Moff Gideon. Not feeling the pressure of _having_ to use it caused his nerves to kick in. The last time he really practiced with one of these was decades ago.

He began to steady himself and ascended further above the forest. Going a bit higher up, he could make out the tops of some of the buildings in town along with a few farms surrounding it. He kept going higher into the atmosphere, looking for the stream where Aurelia and The Child would be.

Mando pushed himself forward, the sudden thrust of the engines making his heart lurch forward from excitement and a rush of adrenaline. Watching the other Mandalorian's use their own jetpacks back home always made him a little jealous. When they swooped in to provide him in aide from the other members of the Guild after he rescued The Child, he desperately wanted one of his own. His heart swelled with pride when the Armorer finally bestowed such a gift upon him. Now he was finally able to use it as he pleased.

Mando steadied himself and kept pushing forward, weaving in and out of the low level clouds and soaring past some of the balloon shaped Fabool that lazily fluttered about. His recollection of brief training with the Phoenix as a child had started to come back to him. Maneuvering the jetpack was almost pure muscle memory. His confidence in being able to control the device had gone up, but as he approached the Kage and The Child down below who watched on at the incoming bounty hunter, he remembered accomplishing a graceful landing was something he needed to work on.

He decelerated too quickly the engine cutting out almost completely behind him. When he tried to compensate for his mistake, the engine fired up too much, sending him forward towards the edge of the water. Mando put his feet down on the ground to try to drag himself to a stop but only succeeded in uprooting a trail of grass in his wake. He cut the engine completely as he met the edge of the river, opting to make a hard landing in the water rather than on land. The loud splash when he made contact with the crystal clear pool masked the loud amused cackling of The Child. Aurelia couldn't help but giggle to herself at the Mandalorian's ungraceful entry, but her entertainment quickly turned to worry when she remembered just how heavy all his attire would be soaking wet. Mando landed in deep portion of the riverbed, something Aurelia couldn't stand in without being submerged completely. When he was slow to breach the surface of the water, she ran to where he appeared to be. A few ripples in the water made it apparent he was trying to gather his footing and push himself upwards. Aurelia took a deep breath and dove down below. She hooked her arms underneath his armpits and used what strength she had to pull him up. Mando used her to steady himself and widen his stance to regain his balance. He pushed both of them to the surface and grasped the ledge to pull them both up to land. Water poured out from underneath his helmet and trickled down his armor, adding to its blinding shine under the sun. His cape and flight suit clung to his broad form, the weight of the water it absorbed threatening to bring him back down into the river as he pushed himself up onto the grass. Aurelia's scarf clung tightly around her nose and mouth, not allowing her to breathe and creating a suffocating hold around her. She unwound the confining fabric from her face, dropping it to the side with a wet plop. Her chest heaved from the debilitating effort it took to try to hoist up the much larger and heavier man. Her arms felt limp and shaky but she still managed to bring one hand up to lay upon one of Mando's pauldrons.

"Are..you...ok..ay?" She managed to gasp.

Mando nodded feverishly at her side, too busy taking in much needed breaths of fresh air. His head turned to look her over to make sure she was okay herself. The air was all but sucked from his lungs yet again when he caught sight of her in her uncovered state. Her scars were more noticeable in the natural lighting, but it still didn't take away from her beauty. He hadn't seen such emotions in her eyes when she looked his way in quite a while. There was a blend of amusement but also concern swimming in her bright honey gold stare. If their circumstance was any different, Mando was sure she would be cracking jokes about how much of a fool he was in between bursts of her sweet sounding laughter. Even though he had wished that was what was really happening, his heart still bounded in his chest at the way she seemed worried about him.

His eyes traced over her as long as they could, trying take in and memorize how she looked before she undoubtedly hid herself from him once more. He felt the heat rise into his cheeks when he saw how her tank top clung to her small form, and how the droplets of water that trailed from her hair also traveled down her cheeks, neck, and in between the curve of her breasts. He swallowed hard and reluctantly tore his eyes from her, cursing the Maker for tempting him with such woman he could never have.

"Yeah. Looks like I still have some practice to do before I take the kid up, huh?"

Right on cue, The Child waddled up eagerly to its father. It whimpered softly and threw itself onto Mando's lap, happy to see that the hunter was fine after a rather rough landing.

Mando's heart faltered when he heard a faint laugh besides him. He looked once more at his pilot, one gloved hand holding The Child close to him, the other fidgeting nervously as he contemplated reaching out to trace his fingertips over the deep, dark lines scattered across her features. His hand rose slowly, an action that didn't go unnoticed by Aurelia. She scooped her scarf off the ground and shot up to her feet before Mando could go any further.

"I'm going to finish up here, then I'll be going to farm," she said wringing out the scarf and looping it back over herself. "I told Shriva I would help her today. I'll take the kid with me. Like you said, he likes it over there."

* * *

Once they changed and dried off, the pair went their separate ways for the rest of the day. Mando offered to help take over the laundry so Aurelia could go to see, but she declined. He knew it was a mixture of her stubbornness and also her love for being near the river that would make her turn down his offer. He himself settled for taking a much needed walk after his barrage of intrusive thoughts. All he wanted to do was clear his head and find something to distract himself with. It didn't take long before he got his wish.

"Mando! You have a second?" Tallis waved to the bounty hunter, his eyes crinkling in the corners out of joy in seeing the beskar covered man. Tallis's warm, outgoing personality had taken Mando quite a few days to get used to. He was extremely friendly but sometimes a little loud, the total opposite of Mando himself. Meeting someone with such a pure heart and good intentions was a rare find these days. It almost seemed fake, but Mando quickly learned that no, that was just how he was.

"Was that you flying around earlier? It looked awesome! You guys have the coolest gear!" The other hunter excitedly babbled on, not even bothering to stop to catch his breath. His face began to flush a bit underneath his subtle stubble when he felt Mando's exasperated gaze from the crack of his visor. "Oh, sorry, I'm sure you're busy. If you have a second, I just need help checking something on one of my fishing nets. I think there's a giant tear in it that needs reworking. You think you could help me?"

Mando nodded and followed the other man a few feet to where where a small dock was. Tallis grabbed one end of obscenely large net and directed Mando to grab the other side. They both hoisted it onto dock and sprawled it out onto the ground, carefully taking note of any evidently large enough holes that fish would easily be able to escape through.

"Have you fished before?" The blonde man asked, retying some of the smaller tears that had formed over the net's constant use.

Mando shook his head, his gloved fingertips brushing over a few frayed edges of netting. "No, not often."

"That'll probably change around here. There's lots of good stuff to be caught in these waters, even more in that big lake we typically hunt by. It's about a mile and a half aways. We're thinking about going out there this evening if you wanna come with. We could use your expertise. Show us what being a Mandalorian is all about."  
In the midst of their conversation, Mando's eyes began to venture off to the side. He caught sight of The Child had taken kindly to the delectable treats and stood besides her looking up and pointing excitedly towards the fruit. Mando smiled at the sight of the curious little foundling, happy it was living life just as a child should. His gaze continued on to follow who his foundling was trying to get the attention of; he noticed Aurelia crouched down in the fields of a nearby farm, busy inspecting some of the bushes that were producing the richly colored berries she had brought home a few mornings ago. 

"She's pretty," Tallis grinned once he saw he had lost Mando's focus. "Well, at least what people get to see of her, that is."

Mando's head jerked back towards the fisherman. Tallis smiled and let out a nervous laugh, his green eyes looking up at Mando apologetically. "Sorry, hope I didn't offend. But from the looks of things, you're not the only one who has your eyes on her around here."

Mando had an idea who he was referring to. He was happy that Aurelia had someone she was spending time with. He had seen her wandering around town with Shriva quite often. He was hoping it was just a friendship developing between them, but Tallis' words made him feel suddenly uneasy. It was difficult enough trying to win back Aurelia's affections. He didn't want to have to fight someone else for them. "Is that a miraluka joke?" He said unamused.

Tallis burst out laughing, his long sandy blonde hair tipping back and brushing against the tops of his shoulders. "I assure you it wasn't an intentional one. But still, you didn't argue against me. What's stopping you from making your move?"

The bounty hunter tensed up and let the net fumble out from between the tips of his fingers. "There's no _move_ to be made. I hired her to help for the kid and my ship and that's it."

For the first time ever, he saw a slight look of annoyance on the fisherman's face. "How long have you been telling yourself that because something else seems to be going on underneath that dense helmet of yours."

"You wouldn't be the first person for me to tell that you're wrong."

Tallis's expression relaxed and was replaced with a snarky grin. "Well Mando, if a lot of people are telling you otherwise, maybe you're the one that's wrong, you just refuse to see it. Now come over here, I'll show you how to tie up some of these holes."

* * *

Stooping down at the edge of the river that ran alongside her patch of tilled soil and thriving vegetation, Shriva scooped a handful of water to cool herself down with. The weather was perfect today; not too hot, not too cold. Working in the sun the past hour with no cloud coverage would be enough to make anyone a little weary. She sighed heavily, but not due to her fatigue. Her mind was swimming with a few questions she had yet to ask her new friend. "So if you don't mind me asking, what brings you to Dantooine? And don't say relaxation."

"What do you mean?" Aurelia asked, inspecting a few berries before placing some in a basket and a handful to The Child.

"Well, there's a reason why you and the Mandalorian sought out a planet such as this."

"It's just something he chose," the pilot shrugged. "We finished a mission up back on Nevarro. It...didn't go as smoothly as we would've liked. We knew it was going to be a risky one going in but we didn't imagine it would've been like this."

Shriva picked at a few blades of glass solemnly. "I'm sorry for your loss."

After a brief moment of silence, the miraluka brought herself back to her feet. "I can feel it, the Force in you. I mean, it's in all living things. It's what binds the universe together. Some of us are just more adapted to feeling it and using it. As a matter of fact, I can feel it strongly in that child of yours."

Aurelia's posture straightened and she habitually reached for the infant child who was lost in its own little world, busy trying to pluck more tasty snack off the bushes for itself. "Please know I mean no harm," Shriva continued in a little softer tone. "My kind is very Force sensitive. What we lack in eyesight, we excel in sensory perception. I can see everything around me, though not visually. I can see you, your child, the path of the winding river, and the fruits blossoming ready to be picked." She stopped and smiled to herself. "I can even see the Mandalorian way over there, watching us every now and then."

A sudden, abrupt heat traveled up Aurelia's neck and settled in her cheeks, causing the miraluka to giggle uncontrollably. "He's rather protective, is he not?" She asked once she gained her composure.

When Aurelia spoke, her voice sounded much more tender than she would have liked. "I suppose he is, especially with his son."

Shriva smiled to herself once more. "I have to confess to you it isn't his son he keeps stealing glances at."

Aurelia turned to look at Mando who hastily redirected his attention back to Tallis and repairing their fishing net.

"Such an odd pair you are. It doesn't take a force sensitive being to feel the disharmony between you two."

"You don't know what happened," Aurelia said bitterly.

The Force sensitive farmer's head cocked to the side curiously. "Do you trust me enough to enlighten me? You don't seem to be the type that would bare their soul to another easily. That's why you hide yourself isn't it?"

A few freshly picked berries intended to be given to The Child were suddenly crushed between the raven haired woman's fingers out of shock. Shriva grinned knowingly. "Yes, I noticed. I see many things that many people think I would miss."

Aurelia swallowed hard. "Are you a Jedi?" She asked over the grunts of hungry frustration coming from the foundling.

"That's far above my pay grade!" Shriva bemused. "But thank you for the compliment. No, I'm not. I might be in tune with the Force, but I'm no Jedi. I had a few friends who were. The Empire wiped a majority of them out years ago, my friends included."

"I'm sorry," Aurelia mourned quietly. The memory of her father, Kuiil, and the IG unit swept her mind. Too many people close to her were lost at the hands of the Empire. She knew she wasn't the only one affected and that only made it worse. The Empire took so much from people for what they thought was the _"greater good"._

"It's painful to think about some days, but I know I'm not alone. As I said before, all things in this galaxy are connected to one another. Though my loved ones are gone, they're still a part of me. Living here has helped me realize that. Dantooine can offer great solace to those who need it."

Shriva placed a gentle hand on Aurelia's head, eliciting a slight recoil from the Kage woman. Shriva frowned at the level of defensiveness from her friend. "You've suffered much loss, I can tell. As has the Mandalorian. I may not know what happened between you and you may not tell me, but I can't deny the feeling that you two still want to reach out to one another though you're both not letting yourselves do such a thing. You both have been alone in this world a majority of your lives. It's why your guard is constantly up. You hate attachments because you dread the eventual loss that follows them. By holding yourself back, you're missing out on so much and filling yourself with more pain and torment. I would much rather live a life of happiness with others and mourn their absence when the time comes for us to part ways, than live a life of constant sadness by yourself. That's just my opinion on the matter. You are your own person, Tajana, and you know yourself best."

A rush of guilt bombarded the pilot. She always was so on guard. She was used to hiding her real name from the public, but now there wasn't much a real point in doing so with Darro gone. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to open up, even just a little bit.

"Please, call me Aurelia."

* * *

**Day 18:**

Following a successful hunt by the lake one day prior, Mando and Tallis returned to the latter's property to clean and inspect their firearms. Anaeli watched over The Child carefully from close by as it took small steps in and out from between the flowers in her garden. A few dragonflies and other tiny winged insects bounced from one colorful plant to another, causing the infant to chase after them excitedly. The kid gave up after a few good runs around Tallis and Anaeli's home, its little feet giving out from beneath him in a tiresome _thump._ With the late evening fast approaching, Aurelia made her way to pick up The Child and take him back home with her for the rest of the night. Anaeli picked up the worn out little one and gave it a small kiss on the forehead, earning a bright smile from all those watching. Aurelia said her thank you and goodbyes before turning to head back to her own living quarters. Noticing how Mando paused his assembling of his pulse rifle to watch them leave, Tallis threw down his cleaning rag in an exasperated manner, the heel of his boot nearly knocking over the chair his foot was resting lazily on. "Okay, I have to say something because I _know_ you look like a pathetic porg underneath there every time you look her way."

"What are you trying to say?" Mando asked harshly, his brows furrowing heavily beneath his helmet.

"Stars give me strength...I mean did you two have a falling out or something?"

Tallis grimaced at Mando's silent response. "I suppose it's not my business to ask what happened, is it?"

The bounty hunter slowly picked up his firearm, polishing a spot that Tallis new the man had just cleaned to perfection a few minutes ago. He was nervous and got a bit fidgety when he felt uncomfortable. It's not that he was necessarily awkward with Tallis's questions, rather he didn't like revisiting the memories of what they were trying to get at.

"I...left her behind on our last mission together," Mando spoke up. "We also lost a few members of our crew, one of which she was very close with."

Tallis immediately felt guilty for bringing up what was surely a painful topic of conversation. "That's a bit heavier of an answer than I was expecting."

He knew such a thing wasn't easy to be brought up by any normal person, let alone Mando. He hadn't known him an extremely long period of time, but the two men knew they could count on one another. Tallis knew right off the bat Mando was an odd fellow. He was aware of the dangers of the world and how horrible people could be. Distrust was well known to the Mandalorian, but he was still pure-hearted enough to try to let some people in. Granted, they had to prove themselves first, but once they did, his more human-like side shone through, as did his emotions. Tallis was aware that Mando opening up to him, even if his answers were a little on the short side, was a pretty big deal. He decided to try to test his theory.

"You two don't trust outsiders very easily, do you?"

"Not exactly," Mando replied.

Tallis snorted darkly to himself. "Can't say I blame you in your field of work. I'm sure you've seen a lot, been through a lot too. From how she carries herself, I'm guessing the same thing. Maybe that's both of your problems: neither of you are letting each other in. Sounds like she might've been starting to and you dropped the ball when you left her behind. Are you making an effort to fix it?"

"Meaning?"

"I don't know...apologizing, sucking up to her, giving her something? Anything at all?"

Tallis slapped the side of his head when Mando shook his head no. For being the one of the greatest bounty hunters in the galaxy, his friend really could be dense at times. "Oh Maker maybe she is better off with Shriva. There's your problem, Mando! You're not putting in any work to make things better."

"We haven't spoken much since everything happened," Mando argued.

Tallis groaned and picked up the cleaning cloth he was using on his rifle. He furiously scrubbed away at his firearm in an attempt to distract himself from physically trying to shake some sense into the Mandalorian. He should've known Mando wasn't the apologetic or romantic type. "She's the one who got hurt. It's her decision to make if she wants to move forward or not. Trust is a two way street. I'm sure you're well aware of that. You gotta give her something to work with, maybe then she'll come around."

But Mando wasn't sure when she would "come around". The truth of the matter is, she had begun to slowly go back to the old Aurelia he was used to seeing each day. The strangest thing had seemed to be helping too; it all started when, earlier in the week, she brought home a small potted Blumfruit plant courtesy of Shriva.

> _"It won't get very big unless you plant it somewhere where it can really branch out, but hopefully it'll bless you with some fruit in the future," Shriva told Aurelia, passing her a small ceramic pot. Aurelia took it in both hands and inspected the little tuffs of green leaves poking out of the dark, rich soil._
> 
> _"Thank you, but I can't accept this. You've done so much for me and The Child already. This is a beautiful gift, but it's one I'm not qualified to care for," the Kage woman said sadly. She extended her hands holding the pot back out to Shriva, who pushed the plant back towards its new caretaker._
> 
> _"What makes you think that you can't care for such a thing? Do you not have the time? Do you not want to put in the effort?"_
> 
> _Aurelia flinched at her harsh words. "It's not that. I just...don't think I'll do a good job of caring for it. It deserves someone better, someone who will be there for it."_
> 
> _"How many times have you used that excuse?" The miraluka huffed._
> 
> _"We aren't talking about the plant anymore, are we?" Aurelia said quietly. Her fingers tightened their grip around the edges of the pot and she suddenly felt small at the intense focus directed on her._
> 
> _"You think you're not good enough. You think lowly of yourself when you have no reason to. I see you for who you are, and it's a shame that it's all hidden under that scarf of yours. Take a risk by taking on the responsibility of caring for something. You do for The Child, why not for a plant? Why not for anyone else? The effort you put into nurturing something, looking after it, loving it...you will be rewarded with the most plentiful fruits life has to offer."_

Yes, she had begun to go back to her old self. Mando was both relieved and a tad bit grief stricken. The fact that she was still indifferent to him but normal in every other aspect, bothered him in a way he resented himself for.

* * *

**Day 20:**

The sun on Dantooine appeared to be getting ready to set. Ever since the his hard landing in the river, Mando made learning to control the Phoenix one of his main priorities. He practiced around sundown each night, flying high above all the dense forests surrounding the village and scouting out the vast grasslands in other territories. He had even seen several mountain ranges from afar. Overall, they picked a beautiful planet to settle down on for the time being. They knew they wouldn't be able to live off the generosity of the townspeople for much longer. Both Mando's and Aurelia's pockets were pretty empty. He felt guilty for not keeping up with her payments as he originally promised, even though part of him knew she didn't care enough to vocalize her concerns. Being back in the Guild meant more money would be coming in, but it also meant that they would have to pack up and head out soon. He hadn't forgotten about the task of taking The Child back to the Jedi. Not only that, but Mando wanted to find out what happened to the rest of his covert following the rise of Troopers that took over Nevarro. He wasn't sure where to start looking to begin either task, but he knew they couldn't stay stagnant for much longer.

As much as it pained him to consider the idea, he had been thinking about speaking with Aurelia on her status of continuing her employment with him. He had seen the way she changed since they arrived here. The townspeople gave her what he never could; happiness and a normal life. Even when she lived on Tattooine, she never truly settled down. She lived on edge, worried but also ready if one day Darro would come back into her life. Now that he was permanently out of the picture, she could live carefree the way she deserved. Mando knew these people would accept her for whoever he was. He had, but she couldn't allow herself to let her guard down around him. He blew his chance. At least with these people, she would have a fresh start.

Knowing very well that this might be the last ride he took in the skies of Dantooine, Mando decided to take The Child along. Aurelia was off with Shriva and would be returning soon. He settled on the idea of helping her prepare dinner when they both returned. Afterwards, he would sit her down for a long conversation.  
It was definitely one he wasn't looking forward to. Mando was used to confrontation when it came to engaging in physical altercations or interrogating someone for information about a bounty. Friendships and compassion was so uncomfortably foreign to him. He was so used to up and leaving people behind. It's what he did on Sorgan, yet he couldn't bring himself to do it this time.

He made sure this ride was longer than the rest. The Child's loud giggles and excited shrieks over being flown in and out of the clouds, helped ease some of Mando's growing anxieties over confronting Aurelia later in the night. The sun's orange and yellow rays bounced radiantly off the hunter's beskar armor, giving him the appearance of a bright comet shooting past to anyone that watched on down below. The vibrant golden hues mixed in with the pink and purple skyline made Mando's heart heavier, serving as a reminder of the woman he was thinking about leaving behind yet again. As the sun began to set more and the bright sunset became a bit more diluted by the impending night sky taking over, Mando lowered himself down the the edge of a nearby stream not far from the rest of the town. They kept walking forward, The Child still cooing excitedly to itself from the adrenaline of the flight not quite yet having settled down.

"You like flying around, don't you kid?" He nudged the happy infant in his arms. The high pitched coo and toothy grin that followed served as plenty of confirmation for the Mandalorian.

"Yeah? Well maybe we can go up one last time. You'd like that a lot, wouldn't yo-"

Mando's slow walk back to the town came to a complete stop. The Child's bottom lip sucked into a deep frown, its ears picking straight up at the sound of blaster fire close by. Several bright red streaks of light coming from the nearby farmlands and in between the homes situated on the outside of the village, immediately sent the Mandalorian into fight or flight mode. He fired up the jetpack and protectively shielded The Child from any incoming fire. A sudden unbearably hot, sticky sensation erupted in between the vulnerable gaps of his armor. The pain quickly became close to unbearable, causing Mando to drop back down on the grass right outside of the town. He landed rather hard on his feet, the blistering agony in his side not allowing him to think or see straight. He suddenly felt feverishly warm, his breathing fast and shallow, his rapidly beating heart almost palpable though his chest plate. Mando glanced down and ripped the source of his discomfort from his side: a single arrow doused in a thick, black substance.

"Kinrath poison," an approaching female voice echoed in Mando's buzzing ears. "I suggest you stay still, Mandalorian." She crouched besides his writhing form, smirking down at him when a few pained groans passed through his modulator. "The more you move, the faster it'll kill you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not posting for a while. I was overworked and stressed the past 2 weeks. There's an ongoing family emergency as well as we have just suffered a loss. It might seem like a strange time to post, but to keep my mind busy, I've been writing during the time spent by myself. This was originally going to be a half-assed 3k word chapter but I managed to work at it more in my down time.
> 
> Thank you for your love and understanding. All of your support means now than ever before.


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